Robin:Betrayal
by HighNote
Summary: A great shadow threatens to consume the world, and only Robin and his friends stand in it's way. Rated T for violence and language. R&R please! More chapters on the way!
1. Prologue

**Here's the prologue for Robin:Betrayal. I'll be getting to work on the first chapter soon, just wanted to get this up to let everyone know I'm actually going to do it haha! As I've said before, this story is a prequel to WC, the Nightwing story that some people seem to be digging. Hope you guys enjoy this little prologue and let me know what you think! God Bless**

**DISCLAIMER: ALL CHARACTERS IN THIS FIC ARE PROPERTY OF DC COMICS. THE STORY IS MINE.**

* * *

"Look out, Dick!" Batman yelled, as a spear covered in some sort of black energy was hurled towards Nightwing.

He could only watch in horror as the spear met its target, entering Nightwing's body through the right side of his lower back. Nightwing sank to the floor with a shriek of pain. Thinking fast, Batman produced five small, round spheres from his belt and threw them forward. Upon hitting the floor, the smoke pellets began filling the Batcave with a white haze. He made his way over to where his former partner lay in a heap, writhing in pain, unable to move or speak. He easily broke off part of the spear with a quick snap, then, taking Nightwing in his arms, he headed deeper into the cave.

"Tim, you and the others hold them off for two more minutes then follow us!" he ordered.

"Sure thing! You hear that guys, we've got two more minutes of butt-kicking before our naps!" he shouted, making sure everyone heard.

"Yeah!" Superboy added. "So, let's make them count!"

Robin's eyes narrowed.

_This is for my brother you just skewered!_

"Titans, go!" he said, charging forward as the others followed close behind.

* * *

After getting Nightwing to the operating table in the jet, where Alfred was already seeing to his wound, Batman began prepping for takeoff. He looked through the windshield to see the Titans making their way towards the jet. As soon as they all boarded, the door latched behind them. Batman took his place in the pilot seat.

"Tim, you're co-pilot." He said, motioning to the seat on his right.

Robin nodded and quickly took his seat.

"You guys might want to buckle in. It's going to be a bumpy ride." Robin said over his shoulder, putting on the headset.

Everyone did as they were told, without a word. No one felt like arguing at the moment, not after what had just happened. Robin began going over everything in his head, not forgetting to make all of the routine takeoff checks.

"We're ready for takeoff, Batman."

"Good job, Tim." Batman replied.

The jet took off with a burst of speed. The sun was just peaking over the horizon as they left Gotham behind.

"Where do we go from here, Bruce?" Robin asked.

"The Watchtower." He replied, punching in the coordinates. "I'm going to check on Dick."

He set the autopilot, got up from his seat and turned toward the back of the jet.

"Let me know when we get close to those coordinates."

He waited for Robin's nod, then, left the room.

"Well, what the hell are we going to do now?" Robin said out loud.

"I don't know." Superboy replied with a sigh. "Maybe the Justice League can help."

"Don't count on it, Connor." Robin replied, clenching his fist. "I'm pretty sure they won't dirty their hands with this. I doubt they even care." He paused for a moment, then continued. "I still can't believe this! I mean, how could this have happened to her? There were no warning signs whatsoever!"

"I'm not sure Robin, but we're going to find out." Beast Boy said, taking off his seatbelt and standing to his feet. "With all the bells and whistles on this thing I hope you didn't forget to stock it with a fridge. I'm dying of thirst here."

Robin couldn't help but smile.

"Sure thing." He pressed a button on the console, releasing a small fridge from the wall. "And while your over there, toss me a soda, Gar."

"You got it,Tim!"

Taking his seat, Beast boy tossed Robin a can of soda. Popping the tab, Robin took a sip, then, motioned to the fridge.

"You guys can all help yourselves to anything you need."

Starfire spoke up for the first time since they left the ground. "How can we eat and drink at a time like this? Our friend has turned against us! Doesn't that bother you in the least?"

"Of course it does Star, but, we've got to get Nightwing taken care of first, then we can worry about Raven." He couldn't help but crack a smile. "Y'know, it's funny…"

"What's funny?" Ravager asked.

"I never thought the current Titans would be teaming up with some of the "old vets" to take on one of their own."

"I know," Wonder Girl replied. "it's hard to believe. What are we going to do now? I mean, we have to find some way to snap her out of it!"

"Or we could just end it the easy way." Ravager said casually.

"Do not say such things!" Starfire yelled. "She is my friend and I will not tolerate that kind of talk!"

"And just what are you going to do about it?" Ravager retorted, getting up from her seat.

"Why don't I just show you!"

Starfire stood up to face Ravager, hands glowing.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Robin said, stepping between them. "Ravager, you know we don't kill, and Starfire, I expect more control from you!"

"I am sorry Robin, you're right; we must not fight each other. I apologize, Ravager."

"Yea, yea, don't get all gushy on me. And… I'm sorry too."

As they both returned to their seats, Flash spoke up. "Well, if we're all done playing 'Alpha-Female Smackdown', I think it's time we get the full story here. Robin, you know the most about this situation than the rest of us. Care to break things down?"

"Sure thing, Wally. It all started early this week..."


	2. Reflection

**I'm posting this early, for Darkwinter999 since she liked the prologue so much. This ones for you man, it may not be too flashy, but it's not my worst work lol... also note that it may be a long time before the next chapter is posted since I'm having to get this thing prepped for two different sites. Thanks for reading and God Bless!  
**

* * *

...Bruce was in Japan all week, closing a business deal for Wayne Enterprises. Normally, Lucius Fox handles most of that kind of stuff, but he was in bed with the flu, so Bruce had to take his place. I'd noticed all week that things in the city had been a little off. Big-timers like Two-Face were making rookie mistakes and doing things out of character. But things didn't really kick up until Thursday. At school, while I was in History class, something the teacher said didn't add up…"

"What do you mean?" Wonder Girl asked.

"Well, she was telling us about the first settlement of Iceland in 1901."

"Yea, and?"

"Iceland's first settlement was in the year 874."

"Ok, so you're teacher made a mistake, so what?" Beast Boy chimed in.

"No one in class caught the mistake, Gar. Then later, in French class, our teacher tried to teach us the phrase 'Masdespacio por fa vor.' which roughly translates to 'Slow down, please.' in English."

"Again, I fail to see anything wrong, Tim; don't language teachers always make you learn dumb phrases like that?" Wonder Girl asked.

"He was trying to teach us a Spanish phrase in French class." Tim replied coolly.

"Ok, that is weird, I'll give you that, but what does that have to do with all this?"

"Maybe if you and Gar would stop interrupting him every five seconds, he'd tell us." Flash interjected.

Knowing that Flash was right, she leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms with an annoyed look on her face.

"Go ahead, Tim. No more interruptions."

"Thanks, Wally. Anyways, all throughout the day I noticed the people around me were acting strange. Their thoughts and emotion were out of whack.

My first assumption was that maybe Poison Ivy had released one of her Toxins into Gotham again, but I retired that theory pretty quick because Alfred and I hadn't been affected.

Later that afternoon as I was walking down the street from school, I noticed something else was wrong; No one was out on the streets, not even a single car on the road or a bus leaving the school grounds.

Then I noticed something else; the wind that had been blowing as I left school suddenly stopped. When that happened, it hit me to check my watch, when I did, the seconds weren't ticking.

I felt a cold chill run down my spine, I turned around, and there she was. I asked her what was wrong, but she only stared at me.

For the longest time, we just stood there, not a word spoken, just an uneasy silence.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, she made her move. Suddenly, it felt like my head was being ripped open, I couldn't fight back, couldn't move, all I manage was to whisper 'why?' As soon as the word left my mouth, all the pain stopped.

I noticed I was down on all fours, staring at the ground, my nose bleeding.

When I looked up, she was gone and I could feel the wind hitting my face again. That's when I called Alfred and told him to get Bruce on the phone and tell him to get his ass back to Gotham immediately… Not in so many words of course…

Anyway, I told Alfred not to bother picking me up, it was too dangerous for him to leave home, instead, I called Dick and told him what had happened and, within the hour, he was there to pick me up; in record time I might add.

Then, when we got home, things picked up a bit more.

As Dick and I tried to enter the cave through the hidden entrance, we realized we wouldn't be able to get in that way, the bats were going crazy! As hard as we tried, we couldn't even see a way past them, so, we decided to switch to our civvies and head for the front door.

Alfred told us that he had noticed the bats beginning to at strangely a few hours earlier, so he closed off the main area of the cave as a precaution, which explained why they were so thick at the entrance.

Anyways, after a quick bite to eat at the insistence of Alfred, Dick and I decided to do a bit of digging.

It didn't take long to find some recent news reports detailing a mysterious explosion at James Madison High School, just the day before. And, as most of you know, that's the school Raven is attending, or at least she **was** attending.

It was during school ours and no one escaped the blast, but there was one report of a child spotting a small cloaked figure standing amid the rubble a few minutes after the blast, but since the child was only three, no paid much attention.

Most of the news report said the same thing, so we finally decided to call it quits until Bruce came in.

That's when the heat got turned up even more.

As we turned to leave, we both saw her standing right in front of us, only a few feet away, waiting patiently like a lion about to pounce on its prey.

We both tensed up, ready to defend ourselves if needed, but, to our surprise, she spoke. It was only one word, barely audible, but we both caught it…. 'Help.'

One blink later and she was gone, as if she'd never even been there.

Bruce got in later that night and, after a brief rundown of the situation, he disappeared into the cave alone, telling us to wait where we were.

Two agonizing hours later, he called us down into the cave.

He was already in the Batsuit, cowl dangling behind his head. That's when he told us that he had already put in a call to you guys, telling you to get to the manor as soon as possible.

Wally, you arrived an hour later, then, when you realized the others wouldn't be getting there until early the next evening because they had to deal with that fire in Indochina, you decided to come back later, rather than wait on them.

Dick and I tried to get some sleep, but failed to get any at all, thinking every shadow was about to leap out at us.

After all of you arrived, we all gathered in the cave where Batman told us that he'd flown to New York at three in the morning to check the school for clues… You guys know the rest."

"Keep going, Tim. All of this seems so surreal, I want to hear everything, just for my own satisfaction." Flash said.

"Alright, Wally." Robin chuckled. "If it helps. Well, Batman told us that he'd found a letter, miraculously unharmed, hidden in the rubble, and read it to us. Let's see if I can remember how it went…

_My friends, if this letter finds you, then my worst fears have been realized. I'm now under the control of my father, Trigon, a mere puppet to his every whim. I don't know why he's been trying so hard to get to me, but I know that, if he succeeds I have to be stopped or the world could be in grave danger. I've recently discovered that by tapping into me, my father can use a power hidden deep within me to destroy all life on earth… I ask you now, as a friend, do not let this happen, whatever it takes. Ask Donna to help you, she knows what to do…_

_-Raven-_

And that's it. Shortly after reading the letter, we tried Contacting Donna, but she's off-planet right now, and we're still waiting for our message to reach her.

As we were about to go our separate ways to wait for a reply, Raven attacked us in the cave, seriously injuring Nightwing, and sending us on the run."

There was a moment of awkward silence between the group, then Starfire spoke.

"What are we to do now?"

"The only thing we can." Robin responded. "We get to the watchtower and wait for our message to reach Donna."

"How long are we supposed to wait on her, Tim?" Superboy asked.

"As long as it takes, Connor. It's not like we have any other damn choice."

"Well, how long till we reach those coordinates Batman was talking about?"

Robin turned in his seat, glanced at the console then turned back around.

"Nine minutes."

"Good, I hate long waits."

"So, when did Bats get this sweet piece of aviation?" Flash said, indicating the jet.

He hoped to try and lighten the mood by getting everyone's mind off the current situation.

"It was just finished two months ago. Batman thought he might need something bigger than the plane on hand, just in case." Robin responded. "Didn't think he'd need to use it so soon."

The room became silent again, only this time, no one tried to break it. Tim turned back toward the console and accessed the intercom.

"Batman."

"_Yes, Tim?"_

"Thirty seconds from target area."

"_On my way."_

Robin pressed a button, shutting off the intercom.

In no time, Batman was taking his seat at the controls, pressing a series of buttons, contacting the Watchtower.

"Batman to Watchower."

"_Watchtower here. What do you need, Bruce?"_

Superman's voice was a welcome relief to Robin's ears. Somehow, someway, the man of steel always had a way of making you feel safe, even in the darkest moments.

"I've got ten for transport, one in need of immediate medical attention."

"_Bruce, what's wrong?"_

"I'll tell you once we're onboard. Wait one minute then, get us out of here."

"_Alright, see you then."_

Batman cut the communication.

Superboy, with a confused look on his faced addressed Batman.

"Uh, if we're just going to be beamed up to the watchtower, why did we need to take the jet?"

Without looking away from the console, Batman responded.

"Scrambler signal. I have it set up so that no one can transport into Gotham without my knowing."

"But we're miles away from Gotham."

"It's a strong signal."

Silence came over the group yet again as they waited patiently for their transport.

As they stepped off of the transporter inside the watchtower, the medical team rushed over, taking Nightwing from Batman's arms and rushing him to the infirmary; Alfred followed at Batman's insistence. As the rest of them began making their way towards Superman, Robin looked up in awe.

_Bruce didn't give this place justice. It's amazing!_

He'd always wanted to come aboard the watchtower, but never got the chance before now. As they reached the halfway point between them and Superman, Robin heard Wonder Girl and Flash talking behind him.

"Wow, this place is amazing, Wally!"

"I know. It still amazes me every time I see it."

"Do you ever get used to it in the least?"

"Never."

Robin returned his attention in front of him where Superman was waiting across the room. Again, seeing Superman made Robin breathe a little easier, knowing that the man of steel was nearby always made him feel… at ease.

As they approached Superman, Batman wasted no time in getting to the point.

"We need to talk. Now!"

"I've already set up a meeting in the conference room, all of you follow me."

He led them down a series of long hallways, most of which seemed to go on forever, until they came to the conference room. Superman punched in the code on the button panel and the doors opened, revealing Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Hawkman, and Martian Manhunter, all sitting at a round conference-table, waiting for the others to join them. As the group entered the room, everyone at the table stood to their feet.

"Where's Hal?" Flash asked, noting Kyle Rayner standing in Hal Jordan's usual place.

"He left for Oa two days ago on urgent business." Batman replied.

"How did you know that, Bruce?" Superman asked, puzzled. "You haven't checked in since before he left."

"I make it my business to know."

"Fair enough." Superman sighed. "Anyway, what's so urgent that it brings you and half the Titans to the watchtower?"

"Raven has been possessed by Trigon, her father. And, unless we find a way to stop her, earth is as good as gone."

"How can you be sure of this, Bruce?" J'onn finally spoke.

"I wouldn't say it if I wasn't sure, J'onn, you know that."

"Yes, I'm afraid I do. Still, Raven has been under his power before, what makes this any different?"

"Because, this time a hidden power has been awakened within her, a power that rivals even that of Trigon. By possessing her in this state, he's able to wreak havoc in this world without having to cross the dimensional barrier, making him untouchable, since Raven is the only one who can access that plane from here."

"In other words" Robin interjected. ", we're screwed unless we can reach Donna and figure out how the hell to stop Raven!"

Batman put a hand on Robin's shoulder.

"Calm down, Tim."

"I'm…sorry, Batman. But, we need to help her."

"We know that, Tim." Superman added. "But we have to play this carefully; we are dealing with Trigon after all. Besides, we can't do anything until the rest of us hear the whole story."

"Superman's right." Wonder Woman agreed. "Why don't we all take a seat and talk this out. Wally, could you get some mor"

"Got them while you were blinking, Diana." Flash cut in, pointing to the extra chairs around the conference table.

"Thanks." she smiled.

"Don't mentio"

"Everyone take a seat, we don't have time for pleasantries." Batman interrupted, taking his place at the table.

Everyone else took their seat as well.

"Robin, tell them the story from the beginning."

"Alright."

He took a deep breath then, began from the beginning.

As Robin finished the last of the story, a heaviness fell over the room. All was silent until Hawkman spoke up.

"This does not bode well. We have to do something, Superman."

"I'm with you, Carter, but the fact is, half out roster is on extended leave after that run-in with Darkseid last month. We just don't have the manpower to help right now. We have to be ready in case someone needs our help."

"I don't think you get it, Clark." Batman interjected. "If we don't stop Raven, there may not be anyone left for you to help."

"Still, we can't igno"

Their conversation was cut short by sudden sounding of the watchtowers alarm.

J'onn's eyes began glowing yellow.

"J'onn, what the hell's going on?" Green Lantern yelled over the increasingly loud alarm.

"A large concentration a black energy is headed strait for the watchtower." he responded, eyes returning to normal. "There's no time to stop it. Brace for impact!"

Everyone braced themselves for the inevitable.

As the impact hit the Watchtower, everyone in the room went flying; Ravager and Beast Boy were knocked unconscious.

After the blast everything grew quiet for a moment then, the Watchtower began shaking violently.

"What's happening now?!" Robin asked.

"Something terrible." J'onn responded grimly. "The Watchtower is falling out of orbit!"

_._


	3. Death From Above

"What are we going to do?" Wonder Girl asked, fear painted on her face.

"I've got an idea." Superman stated. "Kyle, I'm going to tear open a hole in the wall to our left, when I do that, I want you to get everyone out of here and down to earth, got it?"

"Alright, Supes! But what about the crew-members on the bridge and medical bay, hell, Nightwing is down there!? We can't just leave them here to die!"

"Everyone on the bridge knows the safety protocols, and there are emergency transporters in the medical bay, they'll be fine, now get ready."

"If you say so. Wait, what about you, what will you be doing while we're getting to safety?"

"I'm going to try and slow this the towers decent to lessen the impact."

"Clark, don't be foolish!" Batman yelled over the still blaring alarm. "You won't be able to do it alone; Connor, you're going to stay behind and help him, got it?"

"No, Bruce, it's too dangerous, I won't allow him to risk his life unnecessarily!"

"Wake up, Clark! If he doesn't stay behind to help you, more people will die down there when the Watchtower makes impact, do you really want that on your conscience?"

With time running out and seeing the truth in Batman's words, Superman conceded.

"Alright. Connor, are you okay with that?"

"You know me, Clark, always ready." Superboy replied, putting on a smile to reassure his friends.

"Alright then, let's go!"

"Wait! Just in case I don't make it back…"

Reaching over and taking Wonder Girls hand, he pulled her close to him.

"Cassie, in case I don't make it back, just know that I love you, okay?"

He pulled her up against him and pressed his lips against hers. He broke the kiss slowly, not really anxious for it to end. The next thing he felt was her hand slapping him across the face.

"You big jerk!" she screamed at him. "Don't talk like that! You have to come back."

She started to choke up.

"You just have to."

"He will, Cassie, I promise." Superman broke in. "Connor, we don't have any more time for this, let's go."

"Alright, Clark, let's do it!"

"Remember to take a deep breath before we get out there."

"I know."

Superman wasted no time. In a blink, he was standing in front of the wall, digging his fingers into the thick metal like it was tissue paper. He paused for a brief moment before pulling it free and turned to the group.

"Now, Kyle!"

With that, he tore the large chunk from the wall just as a green globe encompassed the last of the other heroes. Green Lantern, with friends in tow, was the first to go through the opening.

Superman motioned to Superboy to go ahead. The truth was, he wanted to keep an eye on him; he'd made a promise to Cassie, and he intended to keep it.

It was always strange to see that the concept of 'truth justice and the American way', an ideal which most Americans had turned their backs on long ago, being embraced so strongly by a man not even native to this world.

As soon as Superboy made his way through the opening, Superman followed right behind him.

Once out side, he motioned to his impromptu partner, pointing to the spot on the tower he wanted him to be. They each took their positions, pushing the huge tower with all their might as flames began to consume it upon reentry into earth's atmosphere. Neither of them looked back, they knew how long they had to slow this behemoth down, and they didn't need any distraction.

****

As Robin and the rest of the group made their way down to earth, safely concealed inside Green Lantern's bubble, he and everyone else inside looked back on two of their own, fighting with everything they had so that as few people as possible would be harmed.

Everyone except for J'onn who was busy tending to the wounds of Ravager and Beast Boy; they each seemed to have a major concussion, but unable to wake them, he telepathically stimulated their minds to keep at least partially awake. After finishing his analysis of the two, but continuing his stimulus, he joined the others in watching the two Supermen fight for the lives of countless thousands.

****

Still pushing with everything they had, the man and boy of steel fought as if their lives depended on it, their muscles already feeling the strain. Just as they passed through the exosphere and began entering the thermosphere, the unthinkable happened. A single bolt of black energy made its way towards them. Superboy looked back just in time to see it was going to his Superman directly. He panicked, not knowing what to do, his mind racing.

_Damn it, he won't be able to hear me out here in space. How the hell can I reach him? C'mon, Connor, think of something! Wait…I've got it!_

He began using his heat-vision, aiming directly at Superman's right hand. As the beam reached him, Superman looked up quickly, shocked as to why Connor would be messing around at a time like this. As he caught sight of Connor, he noticed him motioning violently in earth's direction but, by the time he turned around, it was too late. The bolt met its mark, slamming Superman into the Watchtower with great force. A half-second later, his vision went black.

Superboy could only watch as Superman was left alone, floating in space, but he couldn't take the time to stop for him now.

_He'll be fine, he's Superman for God's sake! Besides, every tiny bit I slow this thing down means at least another hundred lives saved. Of course, without Superman here, there's no guarantee I'll survive this… Shut up, you moron! You've got to make it back! For the Titans, for Robin, for…Cassie. C'mon, just keep pushing!_

Next the Watchtower broke through the mesosphere, the pressure becoming harder and harder for Superboy to take.

As the bolt of black energy met Superman, Robin heard a gasp from several of his friends.

"Diana, you have to help him!" Wonder Girl insisted.

"I… can't, Cassie."

"Why the hell not?!"

"I can't hold my breath like they can; I'd be out cold in no time with all of that pressure building."

"Please, someone do something, he can't do it by himself." Wonder Girl pleaded, tears streaming from her eyes.

"There's nothing we can do, Cassie." Robin said, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. "Besides, it's Connor we're talking about here; you can't get rid of him that easily… no matter how hard you try."

He managed to feign a smile. He only wished he could believe his own words.

"Kyle." Batman spoke up suddenly.

"What is it, Bats?"

"Pull Superman to us, now."

"You got it! But would it kill you to say please once in awhile?"

Turning around, Kyle focused his mind on Superman and, with little effort, a thin line of glowing, green energy moved from his ring toward Superman. As it touched Superman, it expanded, completely covering him and pulling him into the bubble with the others.

J'onn looked him over, making sure everything seemed okay. He tried waking him but nothing seemed to work.

"I can't wake him. I don't know what's wrong."

"They're breaking the stratosphere!" Robin said anxiously.

Still pushing with everything he had, Superboy's mind raced.

_You can do this, Connor, just don't think about it. You've faced everything from inter-dimensional demons to helping little old ladies cross the street, this is nothing! Of course, in those times, I always had my team to back me up… Shut up moron! Are you out of your damn mind? Thinking like that will get you killed!_

Still, he pressed on, no matter how bad his muscles ached, he pressed on.

****

Everyone looked on helplessly, wanting desperately to take action, but finding no way.

"He's breaking the troposphere!" Robin announced.

"Any luck waking Superman, J'onn?" Batman asked

"No. He seems fine, but he won't wake up."

"Sounds like magic."

He said that last word with what seemed like contempt.

"Carter, you're axe is made of Nth metal, try giving him a shock with it."

"Good idea, Batman."

Hawkman bent over Superman, placing the axe against his chest, he sent a charge through it, hoping for the best.

As the shock hit him, Superman's eyes opened.

"Oh no, Connor!" He yelled, standing to his feet.

"Forget it," Batman replied solemnly. "It's too late. He's already broken the troposphere, he'll hit ground before even you can catch him."

"Can't you make this thing go any faster, Kyle?" Flash asked, already knowing the answer he would receive.

"I could if I wasn't towing all of you, Wally, you know that!"

"Yea… I know. Dammit, I know."

Robin's mind raced as he watched his best friend plummet to the earth.

_Connor, you can do this, I know you can! Damn, why can't I be sure of my own words! Just fight like you've never fought before, Connor! Cassie, me… hell, all of us are rooting for you. You can do it!_

Pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind, he watched on along with the rest of the team, hoping for the best.

****

_C'mon, Connor, you can do this! But wait, that's just it, Connor Kent, can't do this… but I'm something bigger than that. The day I first wore this symbol on my chest, I became I symbol myself, and I'll be damned if I let this thing beat me! Push harder, Superboy!_

He was on his last leg, most of his energy gone. He felt his strength continue to slip away as he pushed with all of his might against the tower that, had at one time, made him sleep easier at night, just knowing it was there with the worlds greatest heroes onboard, watching the earth with sharp eyes. That feeling was now gone as he fought to stop this station that everyone once thought infallible, from killing the very people it was put in place to protect.

He looked down, noticing the earth closing in on him. He was only a few thousand feet from the ground now, but knowing that only made him push harder. It seemed to him like he had been fighting for hours, but the truth was, it had only been minutes.

Closer and closer they fell together, the man and the machine, the hero and the monstrosity; David had finally met his Goliath, and this was his moment of truth, his time to slay the giant or die trying.

The farther he fell, the more force his opponent seemed to gain. Yes, this was his opponent, at least that's the way he felt. He didn't know where it was headed, he never looked back to see, but for all he knew, it could be friends or family below, he couldn't let them die, not on his watch.

_C'mon, push… PUSH!_

He repeated that last word in his mind over and over as his fall came to its end. With an echoing boom, probably heard for miles, his long journey ended, with a crash.

****

"**CONNOR**!" Robin and Wonder Girl yelled at once as they watched Superboy slammed into the earth by the Watchtower.

Clenching his fist, Robin tried to convince himself everything was okay, but, as before, he failed to do so.

"How much longer till we touch down, Kyle?" He asked quickly.

"My ring says another 41 seconds. Don't worry, Tim, Connor's fine, you'll see."

Robin didn't say another word. Just because he had doubts didn't mean he had to trouble everyone else with them, they had enough problems as it was, what with Raven still a very obvious threat, but for the moment he pushed that from his mind.

_I can only handle one major emotional upheaval at a time. Besides, Connor has escaped death countless times before, just like the rest of us, no reason he couldn't do it now. Damn it, why can't I be sure! _

His thoughts continued to be plagued as they made their way to ground.

****

After touching down, Robin and Wonder Girl immediately rushed over to the downed satellite, which surprisingly, suffered little damage from the crash. Superman beat the both of them there, already lifting the immense Watchtower and putting it aside.

As the giant station hit the ground, yet again, it made a loud thud. But there, where the monstrosity once lay, was Superboy.

Everyone rushed to his side, Flash, of course, getting there first. He knelt down and checked for his pulse, a few moments later, he pulled back his mask and turned to face the rest of the group, tears glistening in his eyes.

"**NOOOOOOOO**!" Wonder girl screamed, tears already flowing freely from her eyes.

She ran over to Superman and began beating on his chest.

"**You promised he'd be okay, you bastard! Y-You promised**."

She fell to her knees, repeating herself.

"You promised. You promised."

Her voice began to weaken each time.

"You promised."

Finally, he voice left her, only sobs escaping from her mouth.

Superman knelt down, putting his arms around her, tears streaming down his cheeks. Even the man of steel it seemed, could be broken.

"I'm so sorry, Cassie. I didn't everything I could, I swear."

She buried her face in his chest, continuing to cry her eyes out.

"I'm sorry." He repeated over and over.

Robin, no longer able to hold it in, fell to the ground and screamed, both in sorrow and anguish. Batman, the only person left with dry eyes, stood over him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I know it's hard, Tim." Wonder Woman said, kneeling in front of him. "But I promise you, we'll make sure that Connor's death wasn't in vein."

"Somehow, Diana," Robin said, clenching his fist. " that's just not good enough."

He stood to his feet in a huff, anger overwhelming him.

"I lost my best friend just now, you think avenging him will make everything better? Newsflash, **IT WON'T BRING HIM BACK**!"

"She knows that, Tim." Batman said calmly. "But are you saying you'd rather let the person responsible for his death go unpunished?"

Robin glared at Batman, hands balled into fists, furious. The hardest part was knowing that Batman was right, and right now, he didn't want him to be. He wanted this all to be a dream, or nightmare, or whatever, just anything but real. Finally, his tensioned eased, and he unclenched his fists.

"You're right, Batman. Let's do what we have to do."

He turned to his left where Superman and Wonder Girl were just getting to their feet.

He walked over to Wonder Girl, gently embracing her.

"I swear he'll pay, Cass. I'll make sure Trigon pays for this."

"We both will, Tim." she replied, patting him on the back.

He pulled away and faced the rest of the group.

Looking over at J'onn, he noticed his eyes glowing yellow.

"What is it, J'onn?"

"Good news, Robin. I just spoke with Green Arrow and, there is a message waiting at the Hall of Justice from Donna Troy. He also said that Nightwing, Alfred and the staff of the Watchtower all made it there safely. I already had him transport Best Boy and Ravager to see to their injuries. He is ready to transport us when we're ready."

"Let's go now!" Robin said anxiously.

"Wait!" Batman cautioned. "Look at what happened to the Watchtower after we arrived; being on earth, the Hall will be a much easier target for Raven. If we go there, we can't stay long."

"Bruce is right." Hawkman agreed. "We have to get in and out as quickly as possible or the Hall will be hit just as hard."

"Wait a minute!" Robin interrupted. "Has anyone noticed where we're standing?"

Everyone looked around for the first time at the crumbled buildings surrounding them and, with horror, noticed where they were.

"This is Bludhaven!" Robin finished.

Thinking quickly, J'onn contacted Green Arrow telepathically. Shortly after making contact he addressed his comrades.

"At the time the Watchtower began falling, the Halls' sensors were knocked offline. There was no way to know that the Watchtower was falling, so no evacuation was called for. I've swept the entire city for life… no one survived."

A dark cloud seemed to hang over them, with no sign of leaving in sight.

"An entire city… gone. Just because that bastard demon threw another hissy-fit!" Robin said, enraged.

"Calm down, Tim." Batman said coolly.

"Y'know, Bruce, I'm really sick of you telling me to 'calm down' every five seconds! I'm as calm as I can possibly be right now, so lay off!"

All was silent for a brief moment then, Hawkman continued, picking up right where he'd left off.

"As I was saying, we need to get in and out fast, and only some of us need to continue on, the rest will have to standby in case of an emergency. I'll go with the group and, once Nightwing's ready, he can follow along. Clark, Diana, Kyle and J'onn, you'll need to remain at the hall once we get there."

"No, Carter, we can't sit back and let the rest of you risk you're lives while we do nothing." Wonder Woman protested.

"Wait, he's right, Diana." Superman said, albeit reluctantly. "I may not like it, but he's right. The rest of us are on damage control, I'm sure a lot of people are already wondering why the Watchtower just leveled a major city; we also have to be ready in case something new comes up."

Wonder Woman reluctantly gave in.

"I guess you're right, well, good luck to the rest of you then."

"Good, then it's settled." Hawkman continued. "Batman, Robin, Wonder Girl, Starfire, Flash, Myself, and Nightwing when he's ready, will continue on."

"But wait!" Starfire said, speaking for the first time since before they touched ground. "What about Garfield and Rose, they are a part of this too!"

"She's right." Robin agreed. "You can't just leave them out of this."

"We have to keep this team as small as possible, and the two of them won't be of much help on this one." Hawkman replied. "They each received major concussions from the blast; they have to take it easy for awhile or they'll never fully heal."

Robin conceded.

"He's right, Star; I hate to admit it but he's right, looks like we'll have to go on without them. Anyway, can we just get out of here?"

"Yes. And I've already made arrangements for Superboy as well." J'onn replied.

An instant later, they were all covered in a bluish light.

After getting to the Hall, everyone immediately crowded around the monitor to hear Donna's message.

_**Raven contacted me a few weeks ago in preparation for this. I was hoping it wouldn't be needed but… In Nanda Parbat, there's a relic that can easily loosen Trigon's control on Raven, called the emerald of twilight, but, I'm afraid there's a catch… Its effects will prove fatal to her in her tainted state. you guys know exactly what I'm saying... The only way to stop Raven … is to kill her.**_


	4. The Search Is On

Robin, along with the others, stood in front of the monitor, eyes glued to the screen as the rest of Donna's message played.

_I know it's hard but, there's no other way. And I also know that being a hero means we are never to take a life but this time is different. Raven's life has already been taken from her. What you saw was nothing more than an empty shell. A puppet. I hate this as I'm sure the rest of you do as well, but Raven wanted it this way, and to honor her memory, we have to honor her wishes._

Donna paused for a moment as a lone tear ran down her cheek. It seemed almost as if she had to force herself to start again.

_But before you can access the Emerald of Twilight, you'll first have to find two other artifacts: the Diamond of Dawn and the Sapphire of Night. After finding the two of them, carry them to the shrine of Rama Kushna in Nanda Parbat and the Emerald of Twilight will be revealed. The Diamond of Dawn's last known location was somewhere in the arctic, so it could prove difficult to locate; the Sapphire of Night, however, should be a little easier to find. It's hidden in a temple in the heart of Africa. Sorry I can't be there to help you guys, but I'm still dealing with this uprising on the planet Shr'nai. Please know that I'm with you in spirit. Oh, and one last thing: Raven's power will continue to grow exponentially until she's finally powerful enough to consume all of creation. Time is rapidly running out, so please, hurry!_

The message ended and the screen went black. Not a word was spoken for several minutes. Everyone stood in place, looking at each other with grim disposition. Batman spoke first.

"We have to get going. The longer we wait the more powerful Raven becomes. We'll split into two groups. Tim?"

"Yes?"

"You'll take Wonder Girl and Flash to the arctic to search for the Sapphire. I'll lead Hawkman and Starfire to Africa. We'll converge in Nanda Parbat when we finish, understood?"

Robin couldn't believe his ears. Was Batman actually putting him in charge of something?

"Y-Yes. Understood."

"Good."

"What about me?" Nightwing said, through the doorway.

"Dick, with your extensive injuries, you'd best stay here for now." Batman replied.

"I was just kidding, Bruce." He chuckled. "Unlike you, I know when to listen to the doctors orders."

"Funny. Alright then, let's move out."

As everyone left the room, Tim stayed behind to talk to Dick.

"You seem to be handling the destruction of your home pretty well, Dick."

"The loss of Bludhaven is horrible, Tim, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to cry right now. But the fact is, right now there are bigger problems. Unless Raven is taken down, the death toll will be off the charts."

Robin paused for a second.

"I'm sorry, Dick."

"Sorry for what?"

"Sorry we didn't stop Bludhaven from being leveled."

Dick's face softened, and he placed a hand on Tim's shoulder.

"Listen, little bro. There was no way anyone could've known that this would happen. It kind of came out of nowhere and knocked us all on our asses. It's not Bruce's fault for taking you guys to the Watchtower, it's certainly not your fault, hell it's not even Raven's fault, all the blame falls on Trigon's shoulders. And don't worry. We'll kick his sorry demon ass so hard, he'll cough up another Bludhaven to replace the one he wiped out."

Robin laughed at that last part. He could always look for Dick to make things a little easier to bear in times of crisis.

"Thanks, Dick. Well, I'd better get going. Get some rest, and heal up."

"Sure thing, chum." Dick said with a smile, patting Tim on the shoulder.

"It's a good thing you guys keep a few spare Javelin's here at The Hall." Robin said, taking the pilot-seat.

"It was Bruce's idea." Superman replied. "Guess he really does plan for everything."

At the same time Batman was taking his place in the pilot-seat of the other Javelin as Hawkman and Wonder Girl took two seats behind him.

"Tim, be careful out there. Raven could attack again at any time, so be on your guard."

"I'm always on my guard, just like you taught me." He smiled.

Batman nodded.

"Well, looks like you're all ready to take off. Good luck out there and Godspeed." Superman said.

Everyone gave their farewells as each Javelin fired its rockets and took off.

_Can't believe he put me in charge._ Robin thought as he piloted the Javelin over the Hudson Bay.

They were still a ways from their destination but, with the Javelin flying at top speed, it wouldn't be long before they got there.

_He never throws leadership roles out lightly. Bruce, what do you know that the rest of us don't, damn you!?_

"Tim, are you okay?" Cassie said softly, gently resting a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm fine, Cassie." He responded with a reassuring smile. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you haven't said a word since we left ground. Wally even fell asleep in all the silence."

He turned around in his seat and sure enough, there sat Wally, his head thrown back, mouth wide open and snoring.

"Frankly, I'm surprised you didn't hear his snoring, it's been driving me nuts!"

"Sorry, Cassie. I've just got a lot on my mind."

"You're worried about what Donna said, right?"

"Yeah, that's it."

"Alright, Tim" Her voice became more stern. ",what's really bothering you?"

_Damn! How does she do that?_

He let out a deep sigh.

"Batman knows something that the rest of us don't." he relented

"What makes you say that?"

"You don't know him like I do; he never tosses authority around without good reason. I know he had a purpose in putting me in charge of this team, but I just don't know what it is."

He looked her in the eyes. God, she was beautiful.

_Wait, you idiot! She was your best friends' girlfriend! You can't think about her that way, it's just not right! You can't keep doing this! You've staring at her like this since you arrived at the Hall; keep it up and she'll be suspicious!_

He sat there for a minute, lost in thoughts, still staring into her eyes.

"Ummm… Tim?"

He realized what he was doing and quickly broke eye contact and turned back around to face the console.

"S-Sorry, Cassie, gotta keep my mind on flying. No time to talk."

Her fists clenched. He had another thing coming is he thought he could cut her off like that. She roughly spun the seat back around.

"Oh, no you don't, Tim Drake! Something's up with you and you're going to tell me what it is!"

"What do you mean?" He asked sheepishly.

"You've been looking at me funny since before we left the Hall, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"It's…It's nothing. Just forget about it."

He tried to turn around again but she caught the chair by the arm before he could.

"Tim." Her voice softened. "If there's something wrong, you can tell me. We've been best friends for a long time; you know you can trust me."

"I know that. And believe me, if there was anything I really needed to tell you I'd tell you but.."

As Robin prattled on with another bogus excuse, suddenly it dawned on her what was really wrong.

_Oh no! _she thought. _He's afraid that what happened to Connor will happen to me! It makes sense since he was always a best friend to Connor and I._

"It's okay, Tim." She cut him off. "I get it now, and you don't have to worry, I feel the same way."

"You do?!" he asked quizzically.

_Wait! She has feelings for me too? Alright, now I'm confused! How the hell can we have feelings for each other when her boyfriend –and my best friend- just died a few hours ago?! _

"Sure, Tim. It's only natural after what happened to… to Connor."

A tear escaped from her eye. Robin quickly got up and put his arms around her.

"I'm sorry, Cassie. I miss him too."

_My God! One second she's saying she has feelings for me then she's crying over Connor. What the hell am I supposed to do!?_

"We all miss him." He finished

She slowly pulled away, wiping the tears from her eyes. Why didn't she want to let go of him? Come to think of it, now that she looked at him, he looked......No! Her boyfriend had just died, how could she have feelings for her best friend now?!

"A-Anyways, Tim." She continued, trying to push the thought from her mind. "As I was saying, it's perfectly natural to feel that way after what happened. So don't worry about what you're feeling; I feel it too."

"Thanks, Cassie." He smiled. "That really helps."

_That didn't help at all. How can she say she has feelings for me then act like she still misses Connor then say she has feelings for me again? Damn it, I'm more confused than before! I've got to wrap up this conversation before I get even more confused._

"I think it's about time we woke up Wally." He said quickly. "He needs to be wide awake when we touch down."

"Oh, I guess you're right." She agreed.

_That's just like you, Tim. Rather than talk about you're feelings, you try to find any way you can to avoid them. But damn it, why do I suddenly feel so…attracted to him? Come to think of it… Something's been eating at me every time I glance his direction since… since we… since after Connor died. Damn it, Cassie! You can't do this, he's you're best friend. And right now he's the only person who understands how you feel. He and Connor were very close after all. What would he think of me if he knew I felt this way? He'd think I was trying to replace his best friend with him. That would tear him apart. Cassie, you have to get it together! This can never happen and you don't want it to, got it?_

"Cassie?"

Suddenly, she realized she'd gotten lost in her thoughts.

"Oh, sorry, Tim, just thinking."

"About?"

"About Raven."

She felt terrible for lying, but she couldn't let him know what had really been going through her mind.

"Oh, well don't worry too much about it, Cassie, everything will be fine. Now, would you mind waking Wally?"

"Sure thing."

She turned and walked towards Flash, still snoring like crazy. Robin turned back around to face the console. Luckily, he'd managed to hit the auto-pilot switch just as Wonder Girl jerked him around. They were almost there; another five minutes and they'd be ready to touch down.

As they stepped out of the Javelin, Wonder Girl bundled up in one of the parkas that had been stored in the back of the Javelin. After she finished putting on, she looked at Robin and Flash, shocked that they weren't so much as shivering.

"W-Why aren't you g-guys bundling up? It's f-f-freezing out here!"

They smiled.

"Thermal tights." Robin chuckled.

"And I can regulate my body heat by vibrating at a certain speed." Flash chimed in.

"W-Well, aren't you t-two s-s-special!"

"Here, I can help." Robin said, walking towards her.

As he stood in front of her, he pulled what appeared to be a small, square patch.

"Okay, now pull your hood down." He said.

"Are you c-c-crazy?! I'll f-freeze if I d-d-do that!"

"Look, do you want to be warm or not?"

She muttered something under her breath as she followed Robin's instructions. He moved her hair aside and placed the patch on the back of her neck. Almost immediately she stopped shivering.

"Wow! What did you just do?" She asked in amazement.

"It's a thermal patch. Batman and I always carry them, just in case."

"Geesh, do you prepare for everything?"

"He was trained by Batman. What do you think?" Flash interjected.

"Good point." She smiled.

"Alright let's just get busy." Robin responded, shrugging off their remarks. "Wally, can you.."

"Done! It's this way, follow me!"

"Alright, but next time, how about letting me finish a sentence before you run off!"

"No promises there, buddy!" Wally chuckled.

The wind started to howl as they began their trek across the brutal, unforgiving arctic.

"Are you sure it was a good idea to split everyone up like this, Batman?" Starfire asked, sitting in her assigned seat.

"With every passing minute, Raven's power grows. And even if we were to get both artifacts, it wouldn't mean anything if we didn't get them to Nanda Parbat in time. This way, we cut our searching in half, giving us that much more time."

"That is true but… With Raven already displaying such tremendous power, is it really wise spread ourselves so thin?"

"I underestimated Raven's power when I took everyone to the Watchtower. I didn't think that she would be able to strike at us from that great of a distance so soon. Now that I've reassessed, however, I've concluded that, unless we stop her very soon, she'll reach her limit, and when that happens, the entire universe will be ripped apart and every trace of life will be wiped out."

"Can you really be sure of this, Batman?" Hawkman queried.

"I've never been wrong more than once."

Starfire's heart skipped a beat.

"Batman? Is… is there any other way to stop Raven? I mean, even you, for all of your fierceness, are generally unwilling to take a life."

"An oath I still hold to, Starfire. But the Raven you knew is gone just as Donna Troy attested. What we saw in that cave was an empty shell; Trigon's puppet. I felt it, just as I know Tim and Dick did. We're not taking a life; we're stopping Raven's body from being used for something that she hates."

Starfire's eyes widened just a bit.

"You seem to have an understanding of Raven's sense of honor. How is this possible, seeing as the two of you have barely spoken?"

"I make it a point to know things like that." He responded coldly.

"I see."

No one spoke for awhile. The three of them just waited through the silence until finally, Batman spoke.

"Alright, here we are. I already know where the gem is, it shouldn't take us long to secure it."

"How do you know its exact location?" Hawkman asked, puzzled.

"Because I'm me." Batman replied casually as he pulled the Javelin in for landing.

As Robin, Wonder Girl, and The Flash were making their way through one of the many dark caves of the arctic, Flash suddenly noticed Tim and Cassie were acting a bit funny.

_I think they need a few minutes a lone to discuss…whatever it is they need to discuss. _He thought to himself.

"Hey you two... I umm….. I really have to go. So I'm gonna try and find a place reasonably warm while I ah….. you know… Anyways, I'll be back as soon as I can."

His last words still hung in the air as he rocketed out of the cave.

For a moment they said nothing, then Robin broke the silence.

"It looks like this cave's going to get even darker as we move along. Better get a light."

He pulled a small flashlight from his belt and turned it on. They moved a little deeper into the cave and suddenly, Tim stopped in his tracks.

"Cassie, we need to talk." He said reluctantly.

"What about?"

"About our 'feelings'."

"It's about time. You cut me off last time, so I was waiting for you to bring it up this time."

"I know, I just didn't want to… I wasn't sure how you'd feel about it."

"Tim, what made you think I wouldn't feel the same way?"

"Well, with Connor… not being here anymore, and us being such good friends for so long… it felt almost like… I don't know… just wrong, I guess."

"Tim there's nothing wrong with what you're feeling. It's a natural thing."

"I'm sorry, Cassie, but I don't really see how this is natural."

"Of course it is! Seeing Connor die like that, you just don't want to see another friend hurt."

He stared at her blankly for a minute, confused.

_My God, she wasn't even talking about the same thing! Damn it, I dragged this on thinking she felt the same. Idiot! _ _How the hell do I get out of this now?!_

"Uh… Tim?"

He gave a start. He'd zoned out without realizing it.

"Oh, sorry, Cassie. Umm…. Anyways….. Thanks for understanding how I feel. Let's just move on."

He turned his back to her.

"Hold it, Tim!" she said sternly. "Something's not right with you."

He turned back around and she stared at him for a moment. Without warning, her eyes widened.

"Oh my God!" She said, slapping herself on the forehead. "I was totally off, wasn't I?"

He didn't respond, giving only a shrug.

"Tim… You've been having feelings for me, haven't you?"

"Yeah… but how did you know?"

"Because…… I've been having the same feelings, Tim. I just didn't day anything because… well one: the timing was horrible, it being after Connor's death, and two: I wasn't sure how you'd feel about it, our being such good friends and all."

"Same reason I didn't say anything. Look, Cassie, now that this is out in the open we need to deal with it… just not now."

"Right."

"We'll put our feelings on hold until after we deal with Raven. Agreed?"

"Agreed!"

"Good, now where's Wall…"

"Right here, Timmy boy!" Flash said, popping out of nowhere. "Oh, and while the two of you were talking, I took the liberty of grabbing the Diamond of Dawn. Oh, and I found something out about it."

"And that would be?" Robin asked.

"Well, this thing radiates a lot of warmth. I'm pretty sure this little baby was causing global warming. Sounds crazy I know, but let's face it; we've fought against reality-bending psychopaths from outer space, so this really isn't that much of a stretch if you think about it."

"True, Wally." Robin agreed. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get back to the Javelin and head for Nanda Parbat!"

Batman, Starfire, and Hawkman sat in the Javelin, on their way for Nanda Parbat. Hawkman held the Sapphire of Night in his lap.

"So, that tribe kept this artifact hidden in their temple because it provided them with cold during the droughts."

"Correct." Batman replied. "And anyone else who tried to use it was killed on the spot."

"Savages. Something like this should be used for the benefit of all, not horded away by the greedy for their selfish desires."

"Agreed, Hawkman, but now isn't the time to worry about it. We're set to converge with the others at Nanda Parbat. And I have a feeling that something is wrong there. Be ready for anything."


	5. Fight For Your Life!

As they made their way to converge with the others in Nanda Parbat, Robin, Wonder Girl, and the Flash, tried to put the thoughts of what they had to do out of their minds. Killing one of their best friends was something they didn't really want to deal with.

"We're almost there." Robin called back, still facing the controls. But wait… there's something wrong…"

"What?" Wonder Girl asked. "It looks fine to me."

"That's just it, Cassie." Flash said grimly. "You aren't supposed to be able to see it, not from here anyway."

"And let me guess, something bad is making it stand out, right?"

"Bingo! We have a winner!"

"This is serious, you two." Robin interjected. "Raven's power must have, somehow, seeped into Nanda Parbat."

"I know it's serious, Tim, but someone has to lighten the mood." Flash replied. "But yeah, this looks pretty bad. I thought nothing evil could get into Nanda Parbat, though."

"I thought so, too."

Robin, Wonder Girl and Flash climbed out of the Javelin, setting foot in Nanda Parbat. Batman and his team were already there, waiting for them.

The limp bodies of the monks were littered all over the ground.

_What the hell happened here?_ Robin thought.

"Good, you're here." Batman said as they approached. "Now we can figure out what's going on here."

"No need, Bats." Hawkman said.

Robin thought something was off.

_Since when does Hawkman --Mr. hard-ass-- refer to Batman as 'bats'? Something's not right._

He looked over at Batman who didn't seem surprised at all.

"What's going on, Boston?" Batman asked.

At that point, Robin put it all together.

_Deadman. _He thought.

Deadman continued talking through Hawkman.

"Well, early this morning, all of the monks just attacked each other fer no reason."

"Are they all dead?" Batman asked.

"No, just incapacitated…for now, anyway. The Master sacrificed his life-force to knock the monks out."

Batman paused, bowing his head.

"What is wrong, Batman?" Starfire asked.

"The Master was a close friend of Batman's" Robin answered, clenching his fist.

Deadman continued on.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. But, we need to figure out what's going on."

"We already know." Robin said. "And we've got to get into the temple to stop it."

"Stop what?"

"A… friend of ours."

"Pfft. Some friend you got if they're wantin' ta destroy a holy place."

"She's not in control of herself." Batman said, pulling his head back up. "Her father has control of her."

"Her father? Bats, please don't tell me… Trigon?"

"Yes."

"Damn! That Grayson kid of yours once told me about him and his daughter –Raven, I think- and what I heard wasn't too good."

"Whatever Dick told you," Robin interjected. "It was an understatement."

"That bad, huh?"

"Yes." Batman answered. "I notice you aren't solid as you usually are when you're inside Nanda Parbat. Corruption too strong?"

"You got it. Wasn't sure what it was until now."

"Have you run a sweep of the area?"

"Nope, sorry, Bats. The Master told me to wait here at the entrance before he knocked everyone out. Said that help would come soon. Y'know, he's just like you with that whole 'premonition' thing."

_Okay_, Robin thought, _Raven's powers have grown powerful enough to overtake a holy place._ _This isn't good._

"And what's worse," Deadman continued. "I haven't been able to reach Rama Kushna since just before the attack."

"Then we need to make our way to the inner-sanctum." Batman said. "Let's move."

Without waiting for anyone to follow, he took off.

As he and the rest ran after Batman, Robin returned to his thoughts.

_Damn it, Raven! I know you're still in there, so fight it! Don't make us use the emerald!_

"Awww f*#%!" Deadman said, still in possession of Hawkman's body.

After entering the inner-sanctum, the group had found more than they bargained for. Rama Kushna lay on the ground in a human shell.

At first, no one knew it was her, then, Deadman told the rest of them that, even in a human shell, her aura was unmistakable.

"Well, this is just fantastic." Flash said, rubbing his temples. "We come to this place for help and now we have to find a way to save a goddess? Stop the world, I want to get off!"

"Easy, Wallace." Starfire cautioned. "Stay alert. We could be attacked at any moment."

"Not at any moment." Batman said gruffly. "Now."

As soon as the words left his mouth a large, swirling vortex appeared in front of them.

"Everybody, out to the main courtyard, now!" Batman yelled.

Flash was the first to make it, followed by Robin and Starfire, then Wonder Girl and Hawkman. Batman was the last, carrying Rama Kushna in his arms.

"What do we do now, Batman?" Wonder Girl asked.

"Now, we fight." He answered. "We needed for room to maneuver, the sanctum was too cramped."

"Are you sure we can take them?" Robin asked.

"What choice do we have, Tim?"

Robin gave a quick nod.

Batman placed Rama Kushna softly on the grass.

"Don't let anything get near Rama Kushna." He called out. "If she dies, it's all over."

Another vortex appeared near the edge of the courtyard, this time, a figure stepped out.

"**I am called Nihon."** It said in a deep, demonic voice. **"I was sent here to overthrow Rama** **Kushna. A monk wandered out of the temple days ago, without permission. I caught him outside of the holy barrier and devoured his soul, laying claim to his body. After getting inside, I waited for the goddess to let her guard down and give me the chance I needed to strike. That day was today. I switched places with her, using a forbidden spell, taught to me by my master, Raven. I AM NOW THE GOD OF NANDA PARBAT. FEAR ME! **

**SURRENDER AND DIE!"**

"Wrong, gruesome! The correct phrase is 'surrender _or_ die!"

The demon conjured a fireball and threw it in Flash's direction. Flashed dodged it without a problem.

"So, tell me, are all demon's usually this chatty, or are you just an exception?"

"**Why, you little maggot!"**

He attacked Flash again, this time using lightning.

Again, Flash dodged the attack.

"Aww, c'mon gruesome! Is that the best you can do? Yeesh, you're as almost as slow as you are ugly!"

"**I'll teach you to mouth off to me, fool!"**

He began chanting a spell. Portals appeared all around the courtyard.

"Awww, f*%$." Deadman cursed. "Bats, I take it, this Hawkman's a good fighter?"

"One of the most fierce I know."

"Well then, I'd probably better get the hell outta dodge and let him do his own fighting, right?"

"Right."

"Okay, Bats. Good luck."

As Deadman left him, Hawkman shook his head.

"What the hell just happened."

"You've been possessed by Deadman for awhile. But forget about that now. We've got more important things to worry about."

"Like the demons that appear to be pouring out of those portals?"

"Yes. I'm going to get a better vantage point so I can assess things. Robin's in command until I get back, he can tell you anything you need to know."

With that, Batman pulled out his grapple and shot it towards one of the higher walls of the temple.

"Wally, duck!" Robin shouted, throwing an explosive dart towards his friend.

As he ducked, the dart flew over him and hit a demon just a few feet away, exploding on impact, sending bits of blood and ash everywhere.

"Aww man! You got demon-blood all over me, Tim!"

"Quit whining and take these things down!"

"Robin, look out!" Starfire yelled, firing an energy bolt in his direction.

He ducked just in time for the bolt to miss him and hit the demon behind him. He used his cape to shield himself from the blood splatters.

"Thanks, Star!" He said, pulling out his bo-staff.

_Now it's my turn._

"Hawkman, keep these peons off our butts while we deal with the big guy!"

"I don't take orders from kids." Hawkman responded, splitting a demons skull with his axe.

"Batman left me in charge, Carter." Robin said, using his bo to vault over a demon. "Unless you want to explain to him later why you disobeyed my orders, I suggest you do as I say." He swept the demon's legs out from under it and drove his bo, as hard as he could, through the monster's chest.

Hawkman didn't say another word. He did as he was told.

_When in doubt, play the 'Batman's a badass' card. _He thought, with a smile.

"Cassie, you hit 'em high, I'll hit 'em low." He ordered. "Wally, cover us and hit him wherever you can. Kory, fry him!"

"Can do, Tim" Wally called back.

"We're with you, Robin." Starfire replied.

"Let's take him down." Robin said with determination.

Wally was already there, causing Nihon more than a little annoyance.

Robin threw two explosive darts at Nihon. Nihon shrugged off the explosion as if it were nothing.

"**You cannot win, mortals!"**

"Hey, Wally! Why is it that ancient demons always seem to have the cheesiest dialogue?"

"Not sure, buddy. Maybe we should asks Bats, He seems to know everything about everything."

"Hope he didn't hear you say that."

"Me too." Wally chuckled.

Nihon fought them fiercely, their blows doing nothing to harm him.

Tentacles, lashed out at each of them, trying to pull them in closer for the kill.

Robin used his bo to knocked them away, while Starfire blasted them and Wally vibrated through them. Wonder Girl simply flew out of his reach, going in for a punch whenever she got the chance.

"Wally, have you tried vibrating through him?" Robin asked, Backflipping to avoid another tentacle sweep.

"Yeah, it's no good. For some reason, I can't. It's like he's got a barrier around his body. I can vibrate through the tentacles, but nothing else."

"Figures. Cassie, see a weakness yet?"

"Nothing yet."

"Star, anything on your end?" He asked.

"Nothing here either." She replied

"Keep looking! This thing has to have a weak point!"

Nihon let out a deep, guttural laugh.

"**I have no weaknesses, fools! I am almighty Nihon, my master's destroyer."**

"We'll see, Nihon." Robin replied coldly.

_Raven must've sent Nihon here to stop us from getting the emerald. That's the only reason she'd hit this place. _

_No, you idiot! Raven didn't do this, it was Trigon! Trigon's the cause of all this. Don't stop believing in her, she needs us now, more than ever!_

His own thoughts angered him. He rushed Nihon without thinking.

The demon wrapped a tentacle around Robin, lifting him off the ground.

"No, Tim!" Starfire, screamed.

Nihon used her distraction as an opening and grabbed her as well.

"Hang on guys!" Wally said.

"Hold it, Wally!" Robin replied. "That's just what he wants! Keep doing what you're doing. Star and I can still hold our own!"

"You sure, Tim?" Wonder Girl asked.

"I'm positive! Just keep looking for a weak point!."

Blades began sprouting from the tips of some of the tentacles, stabbing at Robin and Starfire.

Each time they knocked them away, they came back more fiercly.

_If this keeps up, Star and I won't last much longer. I can't get to my belt, because this bastard has me constricted at the waist… think, Tim, think!_

Out of nowhere, a thin, black, rod flew down from the sky, striking one of the demon's eyes. Nihron screamed in agony, letting Robin and Starfire fall to the ground.

Robin looked up to the high wall, Nightwing was perched on top. He gave Tim a smile and a quick salute then jumped down toward the fight.

"Thought you said you knew when to listen to the doctor, Dick!" Robin yelled across the courtyard.

"Yup, I said I knew when, but I didn't say I would." He grinned.

"Either way, I'm glad you're here, bro."

"Looks like I have impeccable timing too, don't I?"

"Dick,goodtoseeya" Wally said, jutting by.

"You, too, Wally. Okay, Tim, what do we have here? Besides an ugly-as-hell demon, I mean?"

"We've got Rama Kushna in the middle of the courtyard over there in a human shell until we destroy Nihon here so she can take her place back as goddess… At least, I assume she'll be able to get her true form back…. Haven't really thought that part through."

"You'll learn. Wait… did you say, middle of the courtyard?"

"Yeah, right there." He said pointing to Rama Kushna, still lying there, unmoving.

"Ah, hell!" Nightwing said, taking off towards her.

Robin started after Nightwing, but another tentacle caught him by the ankle and pulled him back to Nihon.

"Wally, a little help here!" Robin said loudly.

Before he knew it, Flash had a hand on his shoulder.

"This is going to feel weird, Tim. Brace yourself." Flash told him.

He concentrated, vibrating both of their molecules, allowing Robin to slip free of Nihon's grip.

"Thanks, Wally. As you were."

He made a brief turn, looking back in Nightwing's direction. He'd gotten Rama Kushna out of the center of the courtyard and next to Batman, discussing something. After a second, Batman rushed towards them.

"Whoah! Guys, get this thing offa me!" Wally yelled.

Everyone turned to look. One of the tentacles had Flash by the head and was jerking him around.

"Now would be good!" He yelled again.

"Vibrate you're molecules, Wally!" Wonder Girl said, delivering a strong punch to the demon's body.

"Don't you think I've tried that?" He responded. "For some reason it's not working anymore. Whoa!"

Nihon slammed him into the ground.

Batman pulled out a batarang and threw it at the tentacle that had Flash in its grasp. As it made contact, the freezing solution inside was released, turning part of the tentacle into solid ice.

Robin was already at Nihon's side, ready and waiting. He slammed his bo into the ice, breaking the tentacle off.

"**Gaaaaahhhh! You mortals have wounded me for the last time!"** Nihon screamed in rage.

"Batman, freeze him again!" Wonder Girl said, landing on the ground next to him. "Finish this now!"

Batman remained stoic.

"No good. Nihon's body adapts to protect him from anything that can harm him. That's why Wally couldn't vibrate through the tentacle."

"Then, how can we beat it?" Robin asked.

"We hold out until Nightwing gets what he needs."

"What does he need?"

"Zatanna will be sending something that will do the trick. That's why Dick moved Rama Kushna. Two objects can't occupy the same space, and Zatanna will be transporting the item to the middle of the courtyard."

"Why not just call her and tell her to send it somewhere else?"

"Because Dick doesn't have a communicator on him and he didn't have time to ask me to call her."

Before he could respond to Batman's apparent sarcasm, he felt a chill run down his spine. Magic always seemed to do that to him, for some reason.

He turned around; a spear was driven into the ground. Nightwing jerked it from the ground and ran towards Robin and the others.

"Dick, what good do you think a spear is going to do against this guy when nothing else has stopped it?"

"This isn't just a spear, Tim." Dick replied, halting next to Robin. "This is the Spear of Longinus…or the Spear of Destiny, or whatever the hell you wanna call it."

"I've heard of it before" Robin said. "It's supposedly the spear that…"

"Right."

"You think it'll work?"

"It's the spear that drew Christ's blood, Tim. If this can't stop a demon, then I don't know what can. Of course, the tricky part is going to be getting close enough to use it."

"That's not a problem." Batman said, taking the spear from Nightwing. "I'll handle it."

He turned toward Nihon, still fighting off Flash, Wonder Girl and Starfire.

"Tim, I need you to keep the tentacles off of me."

"No prob."

"Dick, look after Rama Kushna."

"Alright." Nightwing smiled. "You two go have fun. I've already saved the day once, now it's your turn."

Robin readied his bo and waited for Batman to move.

Batman charged forward, spear in hand, strait for Nihon.

As they came closer, tentacles attacked them fiercely.

"**Fools! You will not destroy me! Nothing can harm me!"**

"If that's the case, then why are you fighting us so hard?" Batman replied, ducking to avoid a tentacle.

Robin knocked it away with his bo.

Robin smiled.

_He's scared. He knows what the spear is, and it's scaring the crap out of him. Time to drive it home!_

Robin fought harder, pushing the tentacles, further and further away. Finally, after they had gotten close enough, Batman bolted ahead.

"Everybody back, now!" He yelled.

He leapt forward crashing into the demon fiercely, driving the spear into its chest.

"**NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!"**

Nihon's last words still hung in the air as his body exploded, followed by a flare of brilliant light.

Robin looked back to where Rama Kushna's body had been; it was floating limply toward them. As it reached the source of the light, it disappeared. A moment later, they heard a voice, then the goddess appeared before them.

_**You have all done well.**_ She said. _**My thanks to you for destroying Nihon and restoring me.**_

"They did good, didn't they, Rama?" Deadman said, walking up behind Batman.

Apparently, since the source of the corruption had been destroyed, Deadman was now solid while in Nanda Parbat.

_**I know why you have come.**_

Hawkman, landed next to Robin.

"Where have you been? We haven't seen you, or those demons you were supposed to be holding off, for a long time." Robin asked.

"I force them all to the edge of the city and held them there. Your orders were to hold them off, and I did." Hawkman replied, crossing his arms.

_Right, forgot he's a total hard-ass_.

Rama Kushna continued.

_**You have come for the emerald. Place the diamond and sapphire on there respective pedestals and we will begin.**_

Batman placed the Sapphire of Night on one side of the courtyard while Robin placed the Diamond of Dawn on the other. They returned to the center of the courtyard, joining the rest of the group.

_**Excellent. Now, which one of you will go?**_

"Which one? What do you mean by that?" Wonder Girl asked. "I thought we were just supposed to get the emerald."

_**The Emerald of Twilight is not something to merely obtain, child. It must be earned. Now, which one of you will face the trials?**_

Everyone looked at each other with questioning eyes.

"Batman should go." Robin said.

_**That is impossible, I'm afraid. Bruce Wayne has already endured the trials.**_

"She's right, Tim, it was part of my early training. I can't go back."

"Then what do we do?" Robin asked.

"You go, Tim" Nightwing said.

"Are you crazy? I'm not ready for this!"

"You're more ready than you think, bro. I would offer to go, but I'm still not at the top of my game, so it would be a suicide-run for me."

"Dick's right." Batman agreed. "You're ready; I know, I trained you."

Robin looked at Nightwing, then to Batman, then back to Nightwing again.

_I can't do this!_

_You don't have much of a choice! _

_Damn!_

"Okay, I'll do it." He said, finally.

_**Very well, young one. **_A portal opened directly in front of them. _**Enter. But be warned: do not let yourself be led astray. Follow your head, not your heart.**_

Bearing Rama Kushna's cryptic words in mind, Robin stepped through the portal.

As he disappeared from sight, worry set in.

"Do you think he will be okay?" Star fire asked.

"He'll be fine." Batman replied.

"Yeah, Kory, don't worry." Nightwing agreed.

Batman began walking away.

"Make yourselves at home," He called over his shoulder. "We're going to be here awhile."

Uneasily, everyone dispersed, their concern apparent.

_You'd better come back soon, kid._ Nightwing thought to himself. _We don't have any time to waste. I swear, Trigon; you'll pay for destroying my city, you bastard._

Stepping through the other side of the portal, Robin was greeted by an unearthly voice.

_**Ah, another comes. Tell me, child, what is your hearts desire?**_

"Who the…?"

_**No, wait, let me read your emotions… I see. **_

Everything went black for an instant, then, suddenly, he was in a small room. Two candles, sitting in the middle of a dining-room table were the room's only source of light.

_Where am I? _He thought.

Cassie stepped into the room, wearing a tight shirt and a very short skirt.

"Cassie? What are you wearing?" He asked with widened eyes.

"Have you forgotten, baby?" She smiled. "It's our one-year anniversary. I thought I'd wear something a little…well… you know." Her grin became more mischievious.

Suddenly, it hit him. Cassie appeared to be slightly older than she should, perhaps in her twenties.

_What the hell is going on?_ He thought in a panic.


	6. The Flaws of Perfection

Robin's mind raced. What was going on?

_What the hell is happening… Wait… This must be what Rama Kushna was talking about._

He looked down, he was out of his costume.

_Well, that's just great! _He thought bitterly. _Looks like I'll have to get through this the hard way. I know this isn't real, so all I have to do is bear that in mind._

"Umm, Cassie?" Robin asked slowly.

"Yes?" She smiled.

"Where are we?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry to ask." He continued. "But, can you please just humor me?"

"Alright." She replied slowly, confusion painted in her tone. "We live in Gotham, on Crimson Street."

"Crimson Street?" He repeated. "Since when is there a Crimson Street in Gotham?"

"Oh, that's right, I forgot. You never could get out of the habit of calling it by its old name." She chuckled.

"And what name was that?" He asked anxiously.

"Crime Alley."

His eyes widened.

_What!? Crime Alley?! But, it was always the worst part of Gotham. The drugs, the prostitution, the killings. And we're living here?... No! We're not living here… or, at least, I'm not…. Keep that in mind, Tim. This is all fake._

"Tim, is something wrong." Cassie asked worriedly.

"Oh… sorry…I just…. Got lost in my thoughts." He said quietly. "I have another question… Of all the places that would be cleaned up, I thought Crime Alley would be the last. How is it that it's free of crime now?"

"Tim." She replied, moving next to him. "It _was_ the last place to be cleaned up."

"What do you mean?"

"Sweetie, you're starting to worry me."

"Please. Cassie, just humor me."

"…Alright… Well, crime was finally wiped out over a year ago."

Her words hit him fiercely. Crime was finally gone?

"How, Cassie? How did this happen.?"

"Well, After Bruce gave his life, saving Gotham from Ra's al Ghul's attack on the city, Dick took over the mantle."

"And then what?" Tim asked anxiously.

"Well, he passed the Nightwing mantle over to you…"

"Wait…. You mean I'm….. Nightwing?"

"Well, you were, but not anymore. There are no heroes anymore, Tim, they aren't needed. Remember, it's what you said you wanted all those years ago, sitting around the campfire with our friends."

"Yes… that is my dream but… Wait, how did crime become wiped out?"

"After Bruce's death, you and Dick went on… a crusade would be the best way to describe it… You relentlessly hunted down every crook, thug and weirdo in Gotham. Crime Alley was the only place left crime-ridden. The other heroes became inspired by the two of you and, long story short: You guys, along with the Justice League, took the crusade worldwide."

"So, there's absolutely no crime left in the world?"

"No."

"Not even something small like purse-snatching?"

"Nothing, Tim."

_The perfect world. _ He thought. _Well, Bruce is gone, but his dream was carried out. That would've made him happy._

"I'm sorry, Cassie." He said, shaking his head. "It just seems so surreal sometimes, y'know? We worked for years on that dream, and there were time I thought it'd never end."

"I know how you feel." She said, gently taking his hand. "Now, let's end our 'romantic evening' the right way."

She let go of his hand and walked toward another doorway. He smiled and followed after her.

_A perfect world. _He thought. _I live in a perfect world._

As everyone waited for Robin's return, talking amongst themselves in various places around the courtyard, Batman and Nightwing stood in front of the portal, discussing the trials Robin now faced.

"Bruce, you've been through this before." Nightwing said, his arms crossed. "What is he facing in there?"

"The specifics of what each person faces are different." Batman replied. "I can't tell you any more than that."

"Why the hell not?" Nightwing said coolly.

"No one who endures the trials is to speak of it. I took an oath that I wouldn't and I hold to it."

"Damn. Well, is there any way we can help him?"

"No, Dick. All we can do is wait."

"Great, waiting, we all know how good I am at that."

"Not as good as you are at sarcasm." Batman quipped.

"Did Batman just crack a joke?" Nightwing said with a grin.

"There's a first time for everything."

"Indeed. But, getting back to Tim, is there anything you can tell me about what's going on?"

"The only thing I can tell you is that he's going to face one of the toughest decisions of his life."

"Let's just hope he can handle it on his own."

Batman grinned slightly.

"Don't worry, Dick." He assured. "Tim's will is enough to get him through this."

The sunlight beamed through the window, stirring Tim from his slumber.

The previous night had been a good one, one he wouldn't mind repeating, and yet… something felt… 'off' the whole night.

_I thought I would sleep the feeling off but… why do I still feel this way? All this time I've been married to Cassie and… … and… Wait, this isn't right. Is it? Cassie and I are married but… when did it happen… Why can't I remember?_

He sat up in the bed. Cassie was already gone, he could hear her in the kitchen. He got up, put on his robe and walked to the kitchen.

As he entered, Cassie was facing the stove, cooking something. He quietly moved behind her, wrapped his around her waist and kissed her on the neck.

"Good morning, Tim." She smiled.

He looked down at the eggs she was cooking, they were a good bit overdone.

_Well, she never has been the best cook. I remember that last time she cooked… … what? Wht can't I remember? What's wrong with-_

"Tim?" Cassie said, interrupting his thoughts. "Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing." He smiled. "Just thinking."

"Well, could you stop thinking for a sec and grab some plates? Breakfast is almost done."

"You got it."

He walked over to the cupboard and opened the door, but, to his surprise, it was empty.

"Wrong one, dear." Cassie said.

"But this is where Alfred always puts…"

"Um, Tim, in case you haven't noticed, you don't live with Alfred anymore."

He stood staring into the empty cupboard.

"I know but…"

_But, why do I feel like I should?_ He thought to himself.

Hawkman stood, watching the horizon, while the others still talk amongst themselves, discussing, what Hawkman n thought to be, trivial matters.

_How can they talk of such light maters at a time like this? Don't they realize that, if Robin doesn't return soon, everything could be lost? You'd best hurry kid… or else-_

He felt a pulse of energy from the amulet on his chest.

_No! Not now!_

It continued pulsing, faster and faster.

Quickly, he flew over to Batman and Nightwing, still standing on front of the portal.

"Batman, we have a problem." He said as he landed.

"What is it, Carter?" Batman asked quickly.

"She's coming."

"Damn. I was afraid of this. With Rama Kushna still in a weakened state, Raven was bound to try this if we stayed here too long."

"This doesn't make sense." Nightwing interjected. "Why doesn't she fight it? There has to be something left of her in there."

"She _is_ fighting it, Dick. That's only reason we're still alive."

"Either way," Hawkman interrupted. "We need to have a plan set in place before her arrival."

"There's really no way we can mount a formidable defense here, Carter, you know that as well as I do." Batman replied. "When she gets here, you'll be our main line of defense. Your knowledge of magic is our best weapon until Robin returns with the Emerald."

"Understood."

"I'll go and warn the others, tell them what to expect." Nightwing said, already walking away.

Gotham city was alive and bustling as Tim walked down the street, headed for work. There was a time when, even at this time of morning, gunshots could be heard not too far away. But, not now, not anymore.

_A perfect world. _ Tim thought to himself. _I live in a perfect world._

It was still hard for him to believe that he and Dick were now the heads of Wayne Corp. They each still missed Bruce dearly, but took solace in the fact that his crusade was done and his dream had been realized.

_We did it Bruce. We did… what? What did we do?....._

His memory failed him again.

_What is this? It's like I can almost remember, almost touch it, but when I reach out, it's gone…_

A sudden gust of wind hit his face, causing him to realize he'd been standing still, staring into space. He noticed a few people on the street looking at him curiously.

_Idiot! Keep this up and you'll be branded as a lunatic! Better get moving, now._

He continued his walk to the office. He found walking to be a much more pleasant than driving, giving him a chance to gather his thoughts before work.

_Dick should already be there is he took the bike… So, yeah, he's already there. Since when does he not take it? _

A sudden ring from his cell phone startled him. He looked at the display, Dick was calling.

"Hello?" He said, flipping the phone open, holding it to his ear.

_**Where are you? **_Dick asked.

"On my way to the office. Why, is something wrong?"

_**No, nothing's wrong. **_Dick assured. _**You're just running a little late and I wanted to check in.**_

"Well, I'm fine, bro. I'll be there in less than ten minutes."

_**Okay. See you then.**_

He heard a click, followed by silence.

_That's Dick for you. _Tim thought with a smile. _Even though crime's been non-existent for almost two years, he still worries he'll have to take up the fight again at any moment._

Everyone stood on edge, gathered in the middle of the courtyard, all except Batman and Nightwing who stood at the very end, overlooking the passage from the mountains.

"Bruce, without Tim bringing back the Emerald, we won't stand the ghost of a chance against Raven directly." Nightwing stated simply.

"I know."

"Shouldn't he be back by now? What if something's happened?"

"I'm sure a lot has happened, but he'll be fine. He's strong, he'll make the right choice."

"Choice?"

"That's all I can say."

Nightwing left the matter to rest.

As they watched the horizon a while longer before what appeared to be a large, black cloud materialized at the very end of their sight. They knew what it was. It was moving far to fast against the wind to be a normal cloud. This had to be Raven.

"Carter." Batman called over his shoulder. "Get ready."

"Understood." Hawkman replied.

Batman could still see worry in Nightwing's expression. He laid a hand on his shoulder.

"He'll be fine, Dick." He said confidently.

"I know he will. But something in my gut tells me something is going to go horribly wrong today."

"I know, I feel it, too."

"What do we do?"

"When the feeling culminates and you realize the moment is right in front of you, you do your best to stop it from happening."

"Can moments like that really be stopped?"

"Sometimes."

"Great. Just freakin great."

"Let's go join the others. Hawkman takes point on this one."

They turned from the horizon and walked toward the rest of the group.

"About time you got here!" Dick said as Tim entered the office. "The phones have been ringing off the hook for an hour now."

"Sorry. Had a long night last night."

"Oh yeah!" Dick said with a smile. "Forgot you and Cassie had your anniversary dinner last night. Followed by 'dessert', I assume" He winked.

Tim sighed.

"Maybe…"

_**Mr. Grayson? **_A voice said over the comm..

"Go ahead, Nancy." Dick replied, pressing a button on the phone.

_**A visitor is here to see Mr. Drake.**_

"Who is it?"

_**They're saying they want it to be a surprise, Mr. Grayson. Should I send them in?**_

"Sure, why the hell not?"

A few moments later, the office door opened, admitting the mysterious guest. As the figure stepped through the doorway, Tim's eyes flew open wide, his mouth hanging open. It was Connor Kent!

_No! Now, I remember! This isn't right; he's supposed to be dead! _

"What's wrong, little bro?" Dick said worriedly. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I…umm…. I…" Tim couldn't get the words out.

"What? Aren't you happy to see me, Tim?" Connor said with a slight frown. "I've been away for months, I thought we could catch up now that I'm back."

"No, this isn't right." Tim managed. "You're dead."

What the hell, man? I go away for awhile and you think I'm dead?"

"No…" Tim continued. "I saw you die. The Watchtower… Nanda Parbat…. Oh, God! I'm still in Nanda Parbat, aren't I?"

"Easy, Tim." Dick said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Cassie obviously didn't let you get enough sleep last night."

"Don't touch me!" Tim yelled, shoving Dick's arm away. "You're not real! I'm still in Nanda Parbat… so that means… this must be the trial…"

Suddenly, time stopped, and a mysterious crimson light fell over the room. A voice echoed, seemingly, from nowhere.

_**Very good, Child. You've seen through my illusions and, now, you have a choice to make.**_

"I'm listening."

_**Look behind you.**_

Tim, turned around at the voice's request. A glowing item, about the size of a human hand, sat on a pedestal.

"The Emerald of Twilight, I take it?"

_**Indeed. You may take it if you wish.**_

"I thought you said there was a choice."

_**Yes. I'm sure you've noticed by now that this illusion is your idea of a perfect world.**_

"Yes."

_**Well, the moment you pick up the Emerald, all of this will disappear, forever. But, should you choose to let it be, you will be allowed to, forever, live in this world, with no memory of the outside.**_

"So, I can either stay here in my perfect world and let the real world be destroyed, or I can leave and save the real world."

_**That is correct.**_

"And, if I were to stay, I'd have no memory of leaving my friends and family to die?"

_**No, you would not.**_

Tim stopped for a moment to think things over.

_Damn it! I hate no-win situations. I can live here forever in paradise, or go back and save that hell. Well, what will it be, Drake? Are you going to stay here and live a perfect life and condemn everyone you love to death, or take the high-road?_

_**I need an answer now, child.**_

"Yeah, yeah, I've got your answer, you disembodied bastard."

_**And what will that be?**_

"You tell me." He said sarcastically as he walked toward the Emerald.

As he touched it, pain erupted from every pore. Blood gushed from his skin, he screamed in agony as the pain continued.

Raven was only a few hundred feet away from the gate. Everyone stood still; ready to burst into action, given the command.

"You realize, if Tim doesn't make it back in time, we're toast, right?" Flash said, addressing Batman.

"He'll make it in time." Batman said without turning around.

"Yeah, Wally, you should have more faith." A voice called from behind them.

Everyone turned around at once to see Robin, with the Emerald of Twilight held tightly in his hand, moving triumphantly toward them.

"Tim, you did it!" Starfire cried, meeting him halfway and giving him a hug.

"Yeah, Star, I did it." He said with a smile, hugging her back.

Wonder Girl, Flash and Nightwing also ran to greet him, while Hawkman, Batman and Deadman kept focused on Raven's approach.

"Uhm, I really hate ta break up this lovely reunion," Deadman called back. "But, Raven's entering Nanda Parbat now, so, if ya don't mind… Could ya get yer asses over here!?"

The ground began shaking violently, making hard for some of the group to keep their balance. Raven, surrounded by dark energy engulfing the air around her, slowly approached them. She stopped just a few feet away, staring them down.

"Dick, if things get hairy, can you hold your own?" Robin whispered.

"I'm pretty banged up but I'll manage." Nightwing replied.

Starfire tried speaking to Raven, hoping there was some way to reach her.

"Raven, you can fight this, I know you can! We are not your enemy!"

Raven said nothing at first, almost as if she were absorbing what Starfire had said, then, finally, she replied.

"**DIE!" **She hissed as dozens of portals appeared around the courtyard.

One after another, demons poured from the fresh openings, hissing and barking threats at their enemies.

"Tim, you do know how to work that thing right?" Nightwing asked, referring to the Emerald.

"Yeah, I think I just have to will it to work."

"Well, little bro, start willing."

The truth was Robin wanted to; he wanted to end it all now before things could get any worse, but something stopped him. A part of him still hoped for another way to save Raven, a way that didn't involve her death.

As he hoped in vain, the snarling demons closed in. They were easily outnumbered twenty to one, maybe even more, but still, he hoped. Another second and the battle began, the monsters lashing out wildly, not caring if they hit some of their own as long as it meant drawing blood from their enemies. Hawkman was the first to move, slashing through five of them in one stroke. Blood gushed from the points of impact, splattering across Hawkman's chest.

Batman was the next to jump in, removing the weapon from any demon he met and taking them down with a series of precise punches and kicks.

Finally, everyone one else followed, Starfire taking to the air, providing cover for everyone else. Wonder Girl, bashing in the skulls of anyone unlucky enough to get in her way. And Flash, running about taking down demon after demon at break-neck speed. But, the flow of demons was endless; just as they finished five, eight more entered through the still-opened portals.

Robin and Nightwing were the only ones who hadn't moved.

"Tim, use the Emerald, now!" Nightwing said urgently, removing his escrima sticks from their holsters.

"But, Dick, there has to be another way. How can we kill a friend like this?"

"You're not killing Raven, Tim, Trigon's already done that! You're just killing a shell that happens to look like Raven."

"I… I guess you're right." Robin said reluctantly.

"I know it's hard, but it has to be done. It's what Raven wanted."

The demons began overwhelming them, pouring in faster and faster from the portals. Robin knew what had to be done, but, why did it have to be this way?

Nightwing jumped into the fight, taking down two of them almost instantly. But, he was quickly becoming outnumbered.

Robin knew he had to end it immediately, no more hesitation… but, why couldn't he do it?

The demons were becoming more fierce, learning from their mistakes. Nightwing was almost overrun, his injuries were slowing him down, he couldn't hold out much longer.

_C'mon, Tim! _Robin thought. _You're brother's going to die if you don't end this now… Do it, Damn you!_

Nightwing turned back to Robin. Seeing that Robin wouldn't be able to finish it, Nightwing ran toward him.

_Tim can't do it. _He thought. _I'll have to do it myself._

Robin watched as Nightwing ran toward him, then, looking beyond him, he saw Raven, her eyes were locked on Nightwing.

_Oh, God! She knows what he's going to do! _Robin thought urgently.

Without second's hesitation, Raven conjured a ball of black flame and hurled it strait at Nightwing.

"Dick, look out!" Robin screamed.

But, it was too late; the flame was moving too fast to dodge. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Robin watched the flame grow closer and closer to Nightwing. Raven wasn't playing around anymore, this would kill him, and there was nothing anyone could do.

Just as the flame was about to meet its target, Robin saw a streak of purple and red rush in the path of the flame.

A blood-curdling scream tore from Starfire's lungs as the black flame hit her body. Her scream still hung in the air as her body turned to ash.


	7. Last Chance

**Well, I know it's been months since I last updated, and for that, I'm sorry. This story has been finished for a few months now, and posted up at DC2, but I just hadn't put it up here. I want to offer a sincere apology to everyone who's followed me from the beginning on this story (all 3 or so of you lol) and let you know that I'm back in the saddle and I don't intend to fall behind again. That said, let's move on... This Mini-Series was a great learning experience for me. Looking back on each part now, I see how far I've come, and still, how far I have to go. I had a killer time working on it, and I can't wait to bring you guys the sequel when time allows. (Remember, this was only the first in a trilogy!) I'm particularly proud of the fight scene I worked on here, I think it's the best fight scene I've ever done, but we'll see what you guys think. **

**A quick side note: This is by far the longest installment of the series. I wanted to do it like an old school comic series with a prestige format ending. So, where the other parts were usually between 3000 and 3500 words, this one was around 8000... Happy Reading!**

* * *

~ Every betrayal contains a perfect moment, a coin stamped heads or tails with salvation on the other side. ~

-Barbara Kingsolver-

~The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him.~

-Sun Tzu-

~If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.~

-Sun Tzu. The Art of War.-

* * *

Nightwing turned just in time to catch one last glimpse of her before her body vanished.

"Star?! **NO!!!!!**" He screamed, falling to his knees.

Robin dropped the Emerald on the ground and ran to Nightwing's side.

"Tim, don't leave the Emerald unguarded!" Batman yelled urgently.

Robin didn't hear him.

"Don't worry, Bats." Flash assured. "I've got it!"

But, before he could reach it, a portal appeared below it and sucked it in. With the Emerald gone, their last hope faded. This was the end.

Everyone gathered around Nightwing and Robin, ready to make their last stand there.

The demonic army closed in, but, surprisingly, they halted their attack.

"**Is this the best you can do?" **Raven chuckled. **"This is pathetic, even for mortals."**

"Get to the point, Trigon." Batman said roughly. "You're boring us."

"**Silence, insolent human!"**

"Who's going to make me, a coward like you?"

"**How dare you call me cowardly!?"**

"Why not? It's the truth, isn't it? Your tactics are cowardly. You'd never face us openly, you're too afraid."

"**I fear nothing!"**

"Prove it."

"**Very well, mortal. We will have a final battle tonight at a place and time of your choosing."**

"Tonight. Gotham. Midnight."

"**I will be there." **

With those words, Trigon and his demons vanished.

"That took balls, Bats." Flash said. "And how did you know Trigon could hear you through raven… not to mention talk through her?"

"Trigon's vanity." Batman said coldly. "He would want to see and hear firsthand the destruction he's set in motion. He lives for it."

He knelt in front of Nightwing.

"Dick, I know this must be incredibly painful." He said quietly. "We'll give her a memorial when this is all over. But, for now we have to get ready."

"What's the point?" Nightwing growled. "The Emerald is gone, we don't have a chance."

A silence fell over the group. Dick was right, now that the emerald had been destroyed, there was nothing left to stand in Raven's way.

"The point is," Flash said, his annoyance clear in his tone. "We don't stop fighting until we stop breathing. We're heroes, dammit! We knew the risks when we signed up."

"Wally's right." Hawkman agreed. "No matter how bad things look, we do what we have to do."

Nightwing was still on his knees, staring at the ground, clenching his fists.

"Dick… I… I'm sorry." Robin said slowly. "It… It's my fault Kory is gone… If I hadn't hesitated…"

"Shut up, Tim." Dick said, cutting him short. "Don't you dare try to take the blame for this! Trigon's the only one to blame here. None of this would have happened if it weren't for that bastard." He stood back up, then, reached a hand out to Tim, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet. "Flash, Hawkman, you're right. We may not be able to win, but we sure as hell won't go down without a fight."

_**Wait. **_Rama Kushna said, appearing before them. _**There is still hope. The Emerald may be gone, but there is another way.**_

"Spit it out, then!" Hawkman said harshly. "There's no time to waste."

_Leave it to Hawkman to mouth off to a goddess. _Robin thought.

_**There is a power that may be of use to you. It is not as powerful as the Emerald of Twilight, but, with that now gone, you have no other options.**_

"And just where can we find this power?" Robin asked respectfully.

_**You have already found it, young one. It lies within you.**_

A look of confusion shown on Robin's face. How had he gained this power? He didn't feel any different, so what could she mean?

"What power do I have?" He asked curiously.

_**By entering the Testing Ground to attain the emerald, you have inherited a temporary tie to it.**_

"Just how 'temporary' are we talking here?" Wonder Girl asked, stepping in closer.

_**The tie will end one hour after midnight.**_

"That's plenty of time," Nightwing said decidedly. "If Tim takes us there now, we'll be able to stop this before it starts."

_**I'm afraid that is not possible. For Robin to trace the power back to its source, he must be near the corrupted one. And, he cannot take anyone with him. He must go alone.**_

_I figured as much. _Robin thought. _Things are never that easy… Damn it, looks like I'm on my own._

"Fine," Batman said authoritatively. "We'll take what we can get. Everyone get ready, we leave in an hour. This ends tonight."

As he walked away a cold chill ran down Robin's spine.

_Bruce is right, this will be the end, one way or another… But, this time, I won't hesitate… I won't let everyone down… not again…_

* * *

Robin made his way to the Javelin, preparing to make some last-minute checks before liftoff. After checking the fuel level and the backup engines, he stepped back out onto the grass. Looking to the left, he saw Wonder Girl standing alone, looking out at the mountains.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" He said, walking up beside her.

A glimmer of light in the corner of her eye caught his attention. He turned to face her. Tears streamed freely down her cheeks.

"Cassie, what's wrong?" He asked softly.

"It's Kory." She said, choking back a sob.

"Oh… I know it's hard to take… We all miss her." He said, lowering his head solemnly. "Things really won't be the same without her. She was always so cheerful… I think that's what I'll miss the most."

"It's not her death, Tim." Cassie said suddenly.

"Huh? But, you just said that…"

"What's bugging me is the fact that no one else seems to care, Tim!" She said, raising her voice slightly. "Even Dick doesn't seem bothered by it now. What the hell is wrong with everyone?" Tears flowed more freely from her eyes as frustration overtook her.

Robin sighed.

"Cassie, we're doing the only thing we can do, putting our pain aside until we end this. I miss Kory a lot, and I'm sure Dick misses her more than anyone else, but he's doing what he has to do to get through this." He rested a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure as soon as this is over, everyone's going to have a good cry and let everything out, but now isn't the time."

She wanted to brush away his hand, to tell him how cold-hearted he was, but deep down, she knew he was right. She turned to face him, breathing a deep sigh.

"You're right, Tim." She said reluctantly. "We can't let our feelings get in the way of what we have to do."

His only response was a subtle nod. Neither of them tried to push the conversation any further, instead, they went their separate ways for a bit, waiting until takeoff.

Robin walked alone again, trying to find something to occupy his time, to take his mind off of what lay ahead.

"Good luck tonight, kid." A familiar voice called from behind.

Robin turned around to meet Deadman.

"Thanks, Boston." He replied. "We're going to need it."

"Nah." Deadman said confidently. "Listen, kid, you've gotta have more faith in yerself. You were taught by the best, so you don't got a damn thing ta worry about!"

Robin couldn't help but be skeptical. Sure, he'd saved cities before, even nations, but nothing like this. Something on this scale was bigger than anything he'd ever had to face. And what was worse… he had to face it alone.

"Again, thanks, Boston… I just wish I could be as sure as you."

"Dammit, kid." Boston sighed. "You really are a piece of work, you know that?" He chanted an incantation and disappeared for an instant before returning with something small held in his hand. "Here." He said, handing the item over to Robin.

It was a necklace of some sort. A small, perfectly round ring with tiny lights scattered all across it.

"What's this for, Boston?" Robin asked curiously.

"See each a those lights? Well, notice how they're connected by something… the ring itself."

"I don't get it, Boston. What's this for?"

"Jesus Christ! I swear, you're givin' me a headache!" Deadman exclaimed, placing a hand on his forehead. "Look, you're a smart kid, figure it out." He stormed off, mumbling to himself.

_What?! _Robin thought in confusion. _He gives me something that's supposed to have meaning and doesn't even tell me what that meaning is? Never mind. _He placed the necklace in a pouch on his belt. _I don't have time to worry about this, it looks like everyone's ready to take off._

Batman was standing by one of the Javelins, everyone else gathering slowly, almost reluctantly, around him.

_They don't like it anymore than I do. _Tim thought. _But that doesn't change a thing. I can't let them down. I'll do it this time, whatever it takes…… Even if I have to do it alone._

Silently, he made his way toward the others.

* * *

Three minutes to midnight in Gotham City, the sky was black as pitch. The moon and stars hidden by clouds.

_Looks like it's going to rain. _Robin thought, looking up to the sky. _I only wish we had more backup… I know it wouldn't do any good but… still…_

When Flash had mention calling in the Justice League, Batman dismissed it immediately, stating that it wouldn't do any good, no matter how many they brought with them, Trigon would only double his forces. Numbers wouldn't win this fight, the weight rested on Robin. The rest of the group would try and hold their own here while he did whatever it was he had to to stop Trigon.

Rain began to drizzle lightly.

This was the business district of Gotham, no innocent bystanders would be here this time of night, leaving everyone free to cut loose without having to worry about civilians.

One minute to midnight and, still, not a word was spoken. Everyone had already said what they needed to say. Now, they only waited… waiting for the inevitable.

Hawkman approached Robin and held out his hand.

"Give me your staff." He said solemnly.

Robin hesitated at first, then pulled out his bo and placed in Hawkman's outstretched hand.

Hawkman pulled out his axe, carving a strange symbol into the middle of Robin's bo.

"Here." He said, handing the staff back to Robin.

Robin stared at the symbol for a moment, puzzled.

"What is this?" He asked, continuing to stare at it intently.

"That symbol negates chaos magic, which Trigon thrives on. As long as you hold onto that, nothing formed from chaos magic can harm you." He turned and walked away without another word.

_Thanks, Carter. _Robin thought with a smile.

"It's time." Batman said aloud, causing Robin's heart to skip a beat. "Get ready."

Robin braced himself. This was it, what he'd been waiting for and dreading for hours. It was time to finish it.

Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself; this was no time to panic, only to act.

'_Raven' should be here any second. _

No sooner had the thought entered his mind than a dark portal appeared on the edge of the roof.

As Raven stepped out, he felt a weird feeling in his chest.

_This must be what Rama Kushna was talking about… have to control it…_

Concentrating as hard as he could, he tried to tap into the power within him. He closed his eyes, picturing a portal in his mind that would carry him to where he needed to go. He opened his eyes and it was in front of him.

_Well, here goes nothing. _He thought, stepping through the newly opened portal.

The air was dry as Robin stepped out of the portal. He looked around, getting his bearings. He stood in a vast, open, desert wasteland, nothing but sand and large, dead trees as far as the eye could see.

_This place takes on whatever shape Trigon wants. He must have picked a bright, barren place like this because he thinks I work better in the dark, congested streets of Gotham… He may be right, but it won't help him as much as he thinks. _Tim thought with determination.

Trigon had pushed him too far this time and there was no turning back, this would be the end of it.

Another quick scan of the area showed him something he'd missed during his first sweep, or, perhaps it hadn't been there at first. A large, white throne towered in the distance, pillars surrounding it. He could just make out Trigon sitting at its center.

_Finally. _He thought. _Time to get this over with._

He walked slowly in Trigon's direction.

* * *

Raven floated silently, just off the ground. The streets were wide, with plenty of room for everyone to move freely.

A few more seconds passed as the rain grew heavier, then, without so much as a threat, Raven made the fist move.

Hideous creatures of various shapes and sizes appeared out of nowhere, some crawling up from the ground, others seemed to fall from the sky. It took Batman no time to realize what was happening. These were the same portals that were used in Nanda Parbat, only, at night, there was no way to see them, which made things that much more dangerous; an enemy could be on them in an instant before they knew it.

He started to warn everyone to be careful, but stopped himself. There was no need, they already knew. There was no use for words, only action.

He waited patiently, already planning hundreds of scenarios in his head, bracing himself for what lay just a few moments ahead.

Hundreds of creatures now lurked in the streets, surrounding the group, some of them snarling and bearing their teeth, trying to intimidate their prey. Some of them, however, stood back quietly, lurking in the shadows.

_These are different. _Batman thought, noting the various demons surrounding them. _Not all of these things are mindless animals… Those in the back… They seem to be planning something…_

One of the creatures lunged at the Flash. Wally moved reflexively, missing his attacker by a mile. His assailant landed flat on its face at Hawkman's feet. Without hesitation, Hawkman lifted his leg, then, with great force, stomped the creatures skull, sending bits of blood and brain scattering across the ground.

No one said a word. This wasn't the time to be squeamish. This was war, ugly and horrendous, but sometimes, like now, necessary.

Raven slowly began raising her arm in their direction. Everyone waited with anticipation. Everything hinged on this next instant. The instant Raven's arm extended fully toward them, pandemonium took over. Demon's lashing out wildly, thirsty for blood, claws eager to disembowel their victims.

Hawkman was the first to charge in, swinging his axe wildly, yet precisely, cleaving heads and limbs from the demonic forms.

Wonder Girl was next, pulling out her lasso and wrapping it around one of the creature's necks. She swung him around in a wide arc, slamming him into any unlucky enough to stand in her path. By the time she had gone another ten feet, all that was left of her makeshift flail was a limp, disfigured corps with powder for bones. She jerked the lasso back, reigning it in, and loosening it, allowing the body to fall to the ground. She put the lasso away and charged in deeper into the rapidly growing mob.

Flash Relied on his speed, Creating several small cyclones at speeds high enough to rend limbs… Which is exactly what they did.

Nightwing and Batman stood back for a moment, watching everyone else in action. Nightwing pulled his escrima sticks from his back.

"Well, are we just going to let them fight to save the world while we sit back on our asses?" Nightwing said, shooting Batman a smile.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Batman said, producing two batarangs from nowhere, gripping them like daggers in his fists.

He returned a slight grin to Nightwing. So small, in fact, Nightwing just barely caught it.

They charged forward together, ready to give their lives without hesitation to buy Robin more time.

* * *

Robin approached the throne of Trigon at a casual pace, not in any real hurry, yet not wasting time. This encounter was different than any other he'd had before with Trigon. Sure, Trigon had caused trouble countless times before, and sure, he'd caused them all plenty of heartache, but this time was different. The rage had been burning in him since almost the beginning. First he'd turned one of their best friends against them, tainting her very soul with his disgusting essence, then, he'd nearly killed one of their own, his brother. Still, even that wasn't enough for him. Leveling Bludhaven and thousands of innocent people was the next step… then… there was Kory.

He fought back a tear. This whole thing had been Trigon's attempt to wear them down, bit-by-bit. It had been all Robin could do to hold his rage in check this whole time, afraid that it might get in the way. Well, that was over. His rage burned with white-hot fury, threatening to consume him. He let it go, let his rage boil to the surface, eager to se against Trigon.

_You've done it this time, you bastard. _He thought with contempt, stopping just in front of Trigon's throne. _After everything you've done this time, I won't let you just walk away._

He stood there for a few moments, staring down his opponent with defiance burning in his eyes.

Shortly after, he'd had his fill of waiting and spoke for the first time since entering Trigon's realm.

"Well, I'm here." He said simply.

Trigon only smiled.

"Yes, I see you there, little worm." He replied in a deep, throaty voice. "And, I cannot help but wonder: now that you are here, what is it you intend to do, fight me, perhaps?"

"No." Robin replied in a short, dry manner. "I'm not here just to fight you."

"Oh really? Then what is it you plan to do?" Trigon leaned a in, propping his elbows on his knees. "Tell me."

Suddenly, it all came flooding back at once. The deaths of Connor, Bludhaven and Kory. The way they'd all been hunted like dogs by one of their best friends. How she had been used like a puppet against her will to destroy the people she cared most about. He wouldn't….couldn't… forgive Trigon for that.

He stared Trigon directly in the eyes.

"You're a monster, Trigon…"

Trigon broke into a loud roar of laughter.

"Such a simple mind." Trigon taunted.

"Let me finish." Robin replied coldly, still keeping cool.

"Very well."

"You've made our lives miserable more times than I care to count, and this time, you've managed to make life hell for us. We've been hunted like dogs by our best friend whose life you stole from her. I swore to myself I'd make you pay for that, and I intend to make good on it."

He gripped his bo staff tightly in his fist.

"And just how do you intend to do that." Trigon said, leaning in closer until his face was only inches from Robin's. "You can't destroy me, can you? Even if you had the means, that foolish code instilled in you by your master wouldn't allow it."

"You're wrong. First of all, Bruce isn't my master, he's my father. Second, I swore I'd never take another **human** life."

"Are you saying what I think, little one?" Trigon said with an evil smirk.

"Yes, Trigon." Robin replied coldly. "This time, I won't stop until you're dead."

Without another word, Trigon slammed his arm into Robin's chest, sending him crashing into a nearby pillar. The pillar cracked at the force of the blow.

"You think to threaten me in my own domain?" Trigon said, getting up from his throne. "You've made a grave error, you little piece of human filth! You're trapped here now. All alone. With me."

Robin got up off the ground slowly, every muscle in his body ached, but he didn't feel that anything was broken…yet.

As he got to his feet, he let out a small chuckle, much to Trigon's surprise.

"Do you really find being trapped here with me so amusing?"

"You still don't get it, do you, Trigon?" Robin said with a smirk. "**I'm** not trapped in here with **you**." He spit out a mouth full of blood. "**You're **trapped in here with **Me.**"

In a fit of rage, Trigon charged Robin at full speed. Robin waited patiently as the demon grew closer and closer.

* * *

Only minutes has passed in the battle in Gotham. Minutes, that seemed like hours. Hawkman was still in the thick of the battle, cleaving limbs from bodies and bashing skulls with his free fist.

Wonder Girl had joined him, taking down any he missed.

Batman had put Flash on containment, which, in this case, was no easy task. He ran around the perimeter, keeping the monsters as contained as possible, trying to stop them from spreading out any further, but at the speed they were now pouring in, he found it harder and harder to do his job.

Nightwing and Batman working their way in, taking down each demon they faced quickly with precise blows. It wasn't all that hard, these demons weren't the most intelligent beings, or so they thought…

As Nightwing took a wide swing with his escrima stick, aiming for the creature's head, it ducked, unlike the others, and, before Nightwing could react, it pierced his side with its sword.

A sharp cry of pain alerted Batman; he turned to see the demon twisting the sword in Nightwing's side, a look of unbridled joy on its hideous face. With almost inhuman speed, he rushed to his partner's side, meeting the demon's head with a powerful flying kick. He could hear the creature's neck snap as the kick connected.

_This isn't good. _He thought as he hit the ground. _Some of these things are getting smarter. If this keeps up we won't last much longer._

Nightwing collapsed on the ground, gripping the hilt of the sword. Batman knelt beside him, immediately pulling a small laser from his belt and cutting the blade itself in half.

"Cassie!" He yelled over the roar of battle. "I need you here, now!" He commanded.

As soon as the words reached her ears, she rushed to his side, flying over the battle to reach him. She landed gracefully on the ground just next to him.

"Is he going to be ok?" She asked, noting Nightwing on the ground.

"I'll be fine." Nightwing spoke up, moving to get up off the ground.

Batman roughly pushed him back flat on the ground.

"Don't move or you'll make it worse." He commanded, then turning to Wonder Girl, he continued. "The blade is ridged, and it twisted after entry. I can't just pull it out; I'm going to have to make a small incision to get it out, but I can't do that with these things closing in on us. You'll have to hold them off while I'm working."

Instinctively, he pulled out a batarang then, clenching it tightly in his fist, he thrust it forcefully over his shoulder, stabbing an approaching demon in the face. It howled in pain as it fell to the ground.

"Can you handle that, Cassie?" He asked as if nothing had happened.

"Yeah, I've got your back." She said.

Already, a group of them were closing in from the right. She charged into them, snapping the neck of the first one and taking his sword and using it to finish off the rest of them.

Batman was already at work, taking care not to cut too deep with the edge of the batarang.

"Are you doing alright, Dick." He asked, pausing for a moment.

"You know me." Nightwing replied with a grimace. "Battlefield operations always put a smile on my face."

Batman continued his work.

As he was about to remove the blade, a larger demon, about twelve feet in stature, slowly stalked up behind him, a devious grin painted on its face. He couldn't turn away, this was the most crucial part of the procedure, and if he stopped halfway, the blade could recede and cause more damage.

It didn't matter though; he knew he wouldn't have to do a thing. Wonder Girl was already rushing to meet the creature, her lasso at the ready. She knew this one was too big to simply pound into submission. More ruthless means were necessary this time.

With a quick blow to the jaw to disorient him, she quickly flew behind him and placed the rope around his neck, gripping it tightly in her fists on either side of his head. She violently jerked back, placing her knee between his shoulders as a brace. The demon bucked wildly, trying desperately to shake off his attacker, gagging and sputtering, fearing for its miserable life.

With another violent jerk, she heard a snap and the body went limp. She loosened her grip and let the corps fall to the ground. Her hands were shaking. Had she really just done that? Yes. It was just as Diana had once told her. War was a horrible, ugly thing, but when faced with it, running wasn't an option.

She resumed her duty, ensuring that Batman was unhindered.

It wasn't much longer before Batman was finished. Nightwing flinched as the laser cauterized the wound, sealing it shut, at least temporarily. Nightwing got to his feet the instant Batman pulled away, ready to fight again.

Giving Batman a quick nod, he turned and ran off into the thick of the battle. Wonder Girl, seeing that Nightwing was up, followed after him to make sure he'd be alright.

Batman stood alone at the back, demons rushing in closer now that no one was there to hold them back. As soon as the first reached him, he went to work. He produced a handful of batarangs and threw them out in front of him. They met their targets aggressively, tearing into flesh and sticking in place. Screams tore from their lungs, some of them even dropping to the ground, unable to go on. Their comrades trampled them without a second thought, nothing mattered to them but the death of their enemy.

Batman realized their numbers were growing, slowly but surely, still, he wasn't about to give up. All they had to do was buy enough time for Robin to do his job. Survival: that was all that mattered.

Hawkman was still in the very middle of the fight, lashing out at any demons unlucky enough to face him. One of them managed to jump on his back, trying desperately to strangle him with thin, boney arms. With a grip of iron, he caught the creature by its right arm, then, with a rough jerk, tore the arm from its host. Hawkman didn't hear a scream, although he was sure one had come. He was too busy moving forward, using both his axe and the severed arm as weapons.

Batman felt a cold chill run down his spine. He turned around quickly to see four red, glowing eyes staring him down beneath a dark hood.

No words were spoken, he knew they wouldn't do any good, Raven couldn't hear them anymore.

Instead, he braced himself, knowing there was nothing he could do against her physically.

He didn't have to wait long before she struck. She snapped her finger and instantly, his body was wracked with pain. He fell to the ground. It seemed like every pain receptor in his body was on fire. He saw a light, he tried to steer away from it, but it quickly consumed him.

* * *

It had been hours since the fight first began. Time flowed differently here than on earth, Robin had soon learned. His body was exhausted, he'd been at it non stop since the first strike, but he wasn't about to give up.

_I'll win this fight. Even if I have to do it alone._

Trigon charged him again at full speed. Robin met his charge with a blow square in the face with his bo staff, stopping Trigon cold.

_Well, that's an improvement. Earlier that wouldn't have stopped him. The staff is draining his power. _He thought to himself. _Remind me to thank Hawkman._

_Robin broke the stalemate with a hard kick to the chest, forcing Trigon back a few steps._

Trigon stopped, taking a few deep breaths. He never thought the boy would last this long, otherwise he would have resorted to more extreme measures early on. Unfortunately, he was too weak now to execute some of them. Still…there was one…

He let out a deep, guttural laugh.

"Tell me, Robin, have you enjoyed our fight thus far?"

"Oh, sure. It's been a barrel of laughs." Robin replied in deep, ragged breaths. "Why the hell are you asking a stupid question like that?"

"I just wanted you to know that it's now over."

"You're just as exhausted as I am, how do you figure you have the advantage?"

"Because I have something I've been saving back. It's time to die, little Robin!"

In a fit of maniacal laughter, he began gathering energy.

Robin felt a cold chill. This wasn't good. Still, nothing would stop him. No matter what Trigon pulled out, there was one thing that wouldn't change. Trigon would die today.

Robin recalled the memory of his friends, Starfire, Superboy, Raven, each of their lives stolen by Trigon. The memories still burned like wildfire, driving him, empowering him.

He watched on as Trigon started to grow.

_Idiot! He won't be able to hold that for very long with as much energy as he's lost. He's trying to end this quick, which shows just how scared he is. He knows I'm not messing around this time._

Trigon was now finished. He stood at around forty feet tall now, a tower beast, looming over his prey.

Robin knew exactly what was coming and readied his muscles.

_Hope I can pull this off with my muscles as tired as they are._

Trigon didn't disappoint. He slammed a fist into the ground, intent to crush Robin on the sand.

Thankfully, Robin dodged just in time, then, climbing on top of the large hand, he ran for it, bolting for Trigon's shoulder, putting away his bo as he ran.

Trigon drew his arm back and shook it violently, trying to throw Robin off. Robin drew two batarangs and dug them into Trigon's flesh, using them as holds. Trigon didn't indicate any feeling of pain, he only shook harder.

_I can't last like this. _Robin thought quickly. _My arms are too tired. Got to get up higher. Only one shot…_

He pulled out his grapple with one hand and aimed it at Trigon's ear. He fired it, hoping to God it would work. It tore through the cartilage, breaking through the other side, giving Robin a ground.

_Good, now I just reel myself in._

He let go of the other batarang. A jolt of pain shot through his arm so intensely he almost felt his arm might pop off. Still, he held on for dear life.

He landed on the left side of Trigon's head, then, before Trigon could make a move to intercept, Robin produced two more batarangs and plunged them deep into Trigon's left eyes.

_Bet you felt that, you bastard._

Trigon howled in agony, blindly swatting with his right arm at Robin while using his left to cover his left eyes. Blood poured down the length of his arm.

Robin was already on the other side of Trigon, ready to finish what he'd started, the memories of his friends still burning violently inside him. He wouldn't lose. He had to finish this.

His last batarang gripped tightly in his fist, he lunged for the other set of eyes. Just before he reached them, he felt a large hand grip him from behind. Trigon had finally caught him.

"Finally, I have you!"

"You think so, huh?" Robin taunted.

"Why are you so smug?" Trigon said, tightening his grip.

Robin writhed under the pressure. He was pretty sure a couple of his ribs were broken. Still, he managed to speak.

"Because I know you can't hold this form any longer. You had just enough energy to hold this for one blow, and you already took that."

"I can crush you before time runs out!" He tightened his grip again.

"Gah!... Really?" Robin said through clenched teeth. "Cuz I think you'd rather protect your remaining eyes!"

Robin threw the batarang at Trigon's top right eye. Trigon let go of Robin, swatting the batarang away from his face. Robin hit the ground hard. He felt a sharp pain in his chest. He'd been right, a few ribs were broken. But that wouldn't stop him now.

Trigon was already shrinking back to his normal size.

* * *

Batman awoke in a dark, round room, in the middle of the floor. He got up to look around. Was this death? No, it couldn't be. He still felt blood coursing through his veins; surely in death you wouldn't feel that. Besides, he never believed in an afterlife. All logic told him it didn't exist; death was the end, nothing more to it.

_I must be alive._ He thought. _But where am I? What is this place? _

He looked around the dimly-lit room with sharp, searching eyes. On the edge of the room he could just make out a small torch illuminating something etched on a nearby wall. He walked towards the light.

The etchings were fairly well done. Much more sophisticated than anything the Egyptians or Aztecs had ever done. Where had these come from?

The markings told some sort of story, of that much he was certain. Looking towards the bottom of the wall, he saw a story of an eagle. The eagle, consumed by some sort of flame, destroyed everyone close to it. The reason seemed to be because of some missing figure from the equation. Someone, or something that could stop it from happening.

_Wait. How am I able to read these? _He thought. _They're written in no language I've ever heard of and yet… it seems familiar somehow._

Looking a little higher on the wall he could see the story of a small bird, driven by death and despair, fighting an evil demon.

That one caught his attention. He looked a little lower, in the middle of the wall. He saw a bridge between two worlds and, a little lower, a creature of both light and darkness…

He knew then what is was he was reading. And, reading the wall in its entirety, he understood. Despair crept over him. He'd seen the beginning and the end of this story and there was only one thing that could stop it… and that piece would be missing. He couldn't let this happen! He couldn't…

He heard something behind him. He spun around quickly, ready for anything. A bright light now appeared in the center of the room. He knew what it was; his ticket out of here. Calmly, he walked towards it, bearing well in mind what he'd just learned. The light consumed him as he stepped into it.

* * *

Nightwing, Hawkman, Flash and Wonder Girl stood in a group in the middle of the street. The demons on every side of them had halted their attack, and everyone knew why. They had already one. They had them vastly outnumbered and they knew it.

"Where the hell is Batman?" Nightwing asked roughly.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him for awhile." Wonder Girl responded.

"Great." Hawkman said bitterly. "He left us to deal with this mess alone. Coward."

"Carter." Nightwing said a calm, cool tone. "Batman would never do that and you know it. If he left he had a very good reason and he'll be back. And if you say otherwise again, I'll kick your ass."

"What makes you think you could?" Hawkman challenged.

"Look at who taught me."

"Guys, guys!" Flash interrupted. "We've got to stick together here! This is just what they want, us at each others throats."

"Wally's right." Wonder Girl agreed. "Put a cap on your stupid macho-guy crap until this is over, then you can kill each other for all I care."

"They're right, Carter." Nightwing said.

"Yes, they are. Bygones?"

"Bygones."

No sooner had the word left Nightwing's mouth than a flash of light appeared just in front of him. When the light settled, Batman was standing in its place.

"Bruce?" Nightwing asked puzzled. "How the hell…"

"No time to explain. How much time do we have left?"

"It's about ten minutes to one…give or take."

"Alright, then this is it." Batman said, pulling a pair of electrically charged brass knuckles from his belt. "We have to hold out until Robin is finished."

"And, if he doesn't come through?" Hawkman asked.

"He will." Batman assured. "Ready?"

Everyone nodded.

"Then, let's go."

With the ferocity of a cornered animal, they lashed out at their captors. The demons waited no time in retaliating.

This was the final round. And it was destined to be the hardest earned.

* * *

Robin stood unsteadily on the sand, propping himself up with his bo.

Trigon was back on his feet now, no longer bother to cover his wounded eyes. The damage had already been done and there was no way to reverse it. He would make the little runt pay for this embarrassment.

Their breaths were both ragged and their bodies worn and they knew it. They had so little left, but neither of them was willing to give up.

Robin made the first move this time, charging Trigon. That was his mistake; Trigon reached out and punched Robin in the ribs, knocking him flat on his back.

_This is it. I've got nothing left…The bastard beat me._

Trigon slowly stalked towards Robin.

"Well well." He chuckled. "Looks like I've beaten you."

_I'm through. Connor, Korry….Raven…. I'm sorry…._

He felt something cold against his neck.

_Wait. Deadman's gift. What did he say about the lights?_ _They're all connected by the ring. Dammit, what did he mean?... ... Wait… The lights… they represent all of us… even though the lights are on separate parts of the ring…they're all connected…I get it now._

He cracked a smile.

He felt a hand wrap around his throat as Trigon's face came into full view, just inches away from his.

"Well, what do you have to say now?" Trigon asked, tightening his grip. "What, no threats now? Have you lost your confidence, worm?!"

"th…..li….." Robin choked.

"What? I can't hear you?" Trigon taunted.

"The….li…"

"What?!" Trigon laughed.

Suddenly he felt sharp pain as Robin shoved a knee into his groin.

Trigon let go, stumbling back.

"I said, 'the lights'" Robin said, getting up of the ground.

"You should've killed me when you had the chance Trigon. You won't get another."

He lunged at Trigon, beating him mercilessly with his bo. There was no method to his strikes, only blow after continuous blow. Technique went out the window long before; this was about payback.

Trigon tried to blow the strikes, but they came so fast and hard that he couldn't hope to block them all. Finally after what seemed like an eternity of pain and violence, the beating stopped.

"I've been waiting for this." Robin said, standing over Trigon victoriously. "It's time to end it."

Robin raised the staff high above his head, about to make the killing blow, but, when the time came, he couldn't do it. Looking at Trigon now, so helpless and broken… it wouldn't be right to take his life like this.

He cursed, shoving his staff in the sand upright.

Then, turning around, he spoke to his enemy.

"Y'know, I thought this would be sweet, but it's not. For a while I'd become almost as bad as you and that sickens me. I was driven by my own selfish desire for revenge." He said, clenching a fist. "I kept telling myself it was for Connor, Kory and Raven… but the truth it, it was for me. I won't let it overcome me like this. I won't kill a helpless individual, no matter who it is."

He heard a chuckled followed by the crackle of fire.

He jerked around, instinctively. Trigon was up on his feet, apparently, he'd gotten a second-wind. Robin's bo was now surrounded by a wall of fire.

"I've been waited for you to separate yourself from that damned staff." Trigon chuckled. "I couldn't affect it directly, but, the area around it is a different story. And without that absorbing my energy with every blow, I'll start to regenerate what energy I've lost. You've lost, foolish bird. Now, you're mine!"

"No, you're wrong, as usual." Robin said confidently. "I gave you a chance at salvation and you rejected it. That was your last chance."

Robin knew what he had to do, although it was going to be difficult… and painful. Even his heat-resistant gloves wouldn't protect him from mystical flames, but he had to do what he had to do.

He reached into the wall of flame, grabbing his staff. The staff burned his hands even after he'd gotten it out.

He charged Trigon, staff held at the ready, the pain almost too much to take. He leapt into the air, holding his staff out in front of him, aiming the carved symbol at Trigon's chest. It connected, burning the image into Trigon's flesh.

"No!" Trigon screamed. "What have you done!"

"I've finished this!" Robin said, hitting the ground.

"I'll get you for this!"

Trigon's skin started to crack, light breaking through the openings.

"No, I don't think you will." Robin replied, taking a deep breath.

He fell down on one knee.

Trigon continued to scream as he form was torn apart. Finally, in one bright flash, he was gone. The ground began shaking underneath Robin's feet.

_Now that Trigon's isn't here to sustain it, this place is falling apart. Guess that's my cue._

* * *

Five minutes to go before their time was up. Batman led the charge as they broke through the front lines, fighting for their lives. Before long, they reached Raven, floating just off the ground, stoic, uncaring. They were ready to fight her head-on, even though they couldn't win. Just as they were about to strike, Raven started to scream.

She fell to the ground on her knees, clenching her head, convulsing.

Batman turned toward the others.

"It's over." He said. "Robin did it."

Just then, a portal appeared and Robin stepped into view. He took one look at Raven and rushed toward her. Before he took two steps, he collapsed on the ground.

Nightwing was the first to his side.

"He's out cold. He must've given Trigon everything he had." He said, examining Robin for injuries. "Looks like he broke a few ribs too. Batman, I think we should…"

He looked up to see that Batman was by Raven's side, holding her in his arms as the life finally left her body.

_Look at him. _Nightwing thought with a smile. T_his wasn't just about saving the world to him. He really did care about her. But then, he's always had a bit of a soft spot for lost causes._

"Wally, I want you to take Tim to the JLA HQ now. Tell them to get Doc Midnite, J'onn or Alfred on this. I don't trust anyone else."

"You got it." Flash said, picking up Robin.

_**Wait! **_A familiar voice called.

"Rama Kushna? What are you doing here?" Nightwing asked curiously.

_**I've come to inform you that there is still enough energy of the Emerald left in Robin to bring restore one life.**_

"You mean, we can actually save one of them?"

_**Yes.**_

"C'mon Tim, wake up!" Nightwing said, smacking Robin's cheeks.

"Wh…what?" Robin stirred.

"No time to talk little bro. Rama Kushna says there's enough energy left in you to bring someone back."

"Only one? B…But what about everyone in Bludhaven?" Robin asked weakly.

"I wish we could bring everyone back bro, but we can't. I hate to say this but, there are too many people in Bludhaven to choose from. It's best if we stick with Connor or Kory."

"W…what about…Raven?"

_**She too could be restored if you wish.**_

"Alright… Raven, then…"

He passed out again with those words.

"Good choice, bro." Nightwing said, giving Flash the nod to carry Robin off.

_**So, he wishes for Raven to be restored?**_

"Yes… and he's right. Connor and Kory died heroically. Raven's last days were tainted and if anyone deserves a shot at redemption, it's her."

The truth was, he wanted to bring back Kory. She shouldn't have had to die because of him, but, Robin was right, it had to be Raven.

_**Very well. It is done.**_

* * *

**EPILOGUE**

A month had come and gone since Trigon's defeat.

Everyone was now gathered at Titans tower, the first chance they'd had to celebrate their victory, what with a series of Titans emergencies breaking out one after the other.

Batman and Hawkman were, of course, too busy to make it, but Nightwing made it a point to drop by for a bit.

While the rest of the group celebrated, he and Robin went off alone to have a talk.

"Well, Tim, looks like you guys are doing well here. I take it those ribs healed up well?"

"Yeah, things have gone pretty well. We've been busy as hell, but nothing too serious."

"Everything's serious, bro. It just doesn't seem that way after what you took on." Dick said, referring to Robin's encounter with Trigon. "Speaking of which, you're sure he's gone… for good?"

"Positive. Every other time we 'destroyed' him, my gut told me he'd be back. This time, that feeling's not there. He's gone. And he's not coming back."

"And we'll all be better for it."

Robin paused for a moment. This was the part he'd been dreading, but he had to get it out of the way.

"Dick… about picking Raven instead of Kory.."

"Forget it, kid. You made the right choice." Dick replied with a smile. "Don't let it bug you. Connor and Kory wouldn't have had it any other way."

"Thanks, Dick. So, what do you have planned now?"

"Well, Since Bludhaven is gone, I think It's time I found myself a new place to live."

"You're always welcome to stay here in the tower."

"I know, but this isn't the place for me, Tim. I left the Titans behind a long time ago, that's your gig now. I've gotta find my place again."

"Well, whatever you decide, you have my support." Robin assured. "By the way, have you talked to Bruce in the last month?"

"Yeah, you notice how strange he's acting, too?"

"Big time. You told me he disappeared from the fight in Gotham for a bit, right?"

"Right. And he still won't tell me where he was or what the hell he was doing."

"What do you think happened?"

"Couldn't tell you. Whatever it was, I'm sure he'll tell us eventually if necessary. Well, I'd better get going. See ya later, bro."

"Take care, Dick."

"You know me."

"Yeah, that's why I said take care." Robin smiled.

Flash stuck his head into the room.

"Hey, Tim, c'mon you're missing the party! Gar's about to chuck a gallon of soda while standing on his head! Hey, where's Dick?"

"He's right…" Robin turned around and Nightwing was gone, the window hanging open. "He left."

"Oh well, his loss, c'mon or you'll miss it too!"

Robin made his way to the door.

_One day I'm going to do that to you and Bruce and see how you like it. _He thought with a smile.

**END**

**The adventure continues in the pages of **

**NIGHTWING: WORLDS COLLIDE**

**Coming soon!**

* * *

**Well, there you have it, the end of Betrayal. It was a wild, fun ride, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. As always, comments are more than welcome, and I hope you guys will join me for Worlds Collide after the its re-write. Thanks and God Bless!**


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